Former Havas Chairman Bollore charged in French bribery investigation
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Billionaire Vincent Bollore was charged by French investigators as part of a probe into the possible use of bribes in two African countries to obtain port contracts from public officials, according to a statement from his company.
The charges stem from a case focusing on suspicions of foul play when Bollore SA was awarded contracts to operate container terminals in Lome, Togo, and Conakry, Guinea. The case has a link to ad group Havas as well. Bollore has wide-ranging business interests, and at the time of the alleged events in 2010, he was Havas’ chairman and controlling shareholder.
Bollore “remains presumed innocent” as the investigation continues, according to the statement. In France, charges are announced prior to any decision on whether to refer the case to trial and can be dropped later. The move allows his defense team to have access to the case files underpinning the allegations, which they haven’t seen so far, and “have the opportunity to answer these unfounded accusations,” according to the statement.
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