Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COTONOU1231
2006-12-22 09:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Cotonou
Cable title:
BENIN: PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS REFERRAL OF TWO
how-toVZCZCXRO2443 RR RUEHMA RUEHPA DE RUEHCO #1231 3560926 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 220926Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9106 INFO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1028
UNCLAS COTONOU 001231
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR AF/W (DBANKS)
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KMCA BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS REFERRAL OF TWO
FORMER MINISTERS TO HIGH COURT ON CORRUPTION CHARGES
REF: (A) COTONOU 395; (B) COTONOU 502
UNCLAS COTONOU 001231
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR AF/W (DBANKS)
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KMCA BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS REFERRAL OF TWO
FORMER MINISTERS TO HIGH COURT ON CORRUPTION CHARGES
REF: (A) COTONOU 395; (B) COTONOU 502
1. On December 21, 2006, after examining a report from a
parliamentary investigative committee, the Legal Committee of the
National Assembly recommended that Cosme Sehlin and Valentin Houd,
respectively the former ministers of Finance and Institutional
Relations under President Mathieu Kerekou, be brought before the
High Court of Justice to face corruption charges.
2. The two ministers are alleged to have been involved in the
embezzlement of CFA 1 billion ($2 million) budgeted for the design
of a Computerized Permanent Voter Registry (LEPI),which has never
been implemented. The referral of Sehlin and Houde follows the
arrest on October 25, 2006 of Houde's predecessor, Alain Adihou, in
the same case. Houd is accused of having spent improperly up to
CFA 460 million ($920,000). Former Finance Minister Sehlin, in
turn, is alleged to have colluded with his colleague in authorizing
the illegal payments. In July, Cosme Sehlin was arrested when a
raid on his house discovered a pile of foreign currencies and an
unidentified white substance; two months later he was released on
bail.
3. The Legal Committee must now present its report to the full
Assembly, which is expected to approve referral of the two ministers
to the High Court of Justice, which, under Benin's Constitution, is
the only court authorized to try high government officials for
criminal acts committed while in office.
4. COMMENT: The Adihou, Sehlin and Houde cases will be a
significant test of the effectiveness of the High Court of Justice.
The High Court's main purpose is to try high officials, but it has
been untested to date, with the Adihou referral the first case ever
referred to it. END COMMENT.
HOLTZAPPLE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR AF/W (DBANKS)
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KMCA BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS REFERRAL OF TWO
FORMER MINISTERS TO HIGH COURT ON CORRUPTION CHARGES
REF: (A) COTONOU 395; (B) COTONOU 502
1. On December 21, 2006, after examining a report from a
parliamentary investigative committee, the Legal Committee of the
National Assembly recommended that Cosme Sehlin and Valentin Houd,
respectively the former ministers of Finance and Institutional
Relations under President Mathieu Kerekou, be brought before the
High Court of Justice to face corruption charges.
2. The two ministers are alleged to have been involved in the
embezzlement of CFA 1 billion ($2 million) budgeted for the design
of a Computerized Permanent Voter Registry (LEPI),which has never
been implemented. The referral of Sehlin and Houde follows the
arrest on October 25, 2006 of Houde's predecessor, Alain Adihou, in
the same case. Houd is accused of having spent improperly up to
CFA 460 million ($920,000). Former Finance Minister Sehlin, in
turn, is alleged to have colluded with his colleague in authorizing
the illegal payments. In July, Cosme Sehlin was arrested when a
raid on his house discovered a pile of foreign currencies and an
unidentified white substance; two months later he was released on
bail.
3. The Legal Committee must now present its report to the full
Assembly, which is expected to approve referral of the two ministers
to the High Court of Justice, which, under Benin's Constitution, is
the only court authorized to try high government officials for
criminal acts committed while in office.
4. COMMENT: The Adihou, Sehlin and Houde cases will be a
significant test of the effectiveness of the High Court of Justice.
The High Court's main purpose is to try high officials, but it has
been untested to date, with the Adihou referral the first case ever
referred to it. END COMMENT.
HOLTZAPPLE