For some time now, there have been circulating information on social media and in the press regarding the arrest of “Customs Captain IRIE Zamblé Etienne,” who allegedly “has been forgotten in detention without trial at MACA since June 30, 2022, following his revelations.”
In a statement, Koné Braman Oumar, the Prosecutor of the Republic at the Penal, Economic, and Financial Pole, formally denied these unfounded allegations and clarified that it had been reported that Customs Lieutenant Irié Bi Zamblé Etienne was in pre-trial detention since June 30, 2022, in connection with a judicial investigation opened against him for acts of false denunciation and defamation.
Following his referral to the correctional police, the Abidjan First Instance Court judged and sentenced him to 12 months of imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 FCFA, according to the statement. Lieutenant IRIE BI Zamblé Etienne was released after serving his sentence.
According to the Prosecutor of the Republic, the individual in question is subject to a new judicial investigation at the Penal, Economic, and Financial Pole for acts of forgery and use of forged documents in a private, professional, or banking account, based on a complaint from the Customs Administration.
During this second stage, the Lieutenant is temporarily released. Koné Braman Oumar emphasizes that the dissemination of false information is an offense that can lead to legal proceedings, which obliges the media to handle information in a professional manner.
