Tycoon denies graft claims

– French industrialist Vincent Bollore went on the offensive yesterday over the corruption charges brought against him over his business dealings in Africa, claiming the case was rooted in prejudice about the continent.

In an opinion article in French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, the head of the Bollore Group, who was charged in connection with the awarding of two lucrative port concessions in West Africa, said the continent was wrongfully portrayed in France as a “land of misrule, even corruption”.

He said: “People imagine heads of state deciding by themselves to award huge contracts to unscrupulous investors.”

Investigating magistrates on Thursday charged the 66-year-old over allegations that his group’s communications arm undercharged the presidents of Guinea and Togo for work on their election campaigns as sweeteners for contracts to operate Conakry port and Lome port.

Defending himself against the claims, Bollore wrote: “Who could imagine that a few hundred thousand euros in spending on communications, which were accounted for in a transparent manner ... determined hundreds of millions of euros in investment in port operations that require significant technical know-how, obtained through international tenders?”

Bollore, one of France’s most powerful businesspeople, sits at the head of a sprawling business empire with revenues of €18.3 billion (R274 billion) in 2017 and interests in everything from construction and logistics to media, advertising and agriculture.

Africa accounts for about 20% of its turnover, excluding the Vivendi media group, which is controlled by the family-run Bollore Group.

In the letter titled “Should we get out of Africa?” Bollore said the investigation had made him question whether he should pursue his activities on the continent, where he had invested €4 billion ($4.8 billion). –

Paris