BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI FIRES FOUR SENIOR OFFICERS OVER

UNCLAS COTONOU 000639

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W (D. BANKS AND E. PLUMB)
PARIS FOR D'ELIA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR KMCA BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI FIRES FOUR SENIOR OFFICERS OVER
CUSTOMS FRAUD SCANDAL

REF: A) COTONOU 477; B) COTONOU 512


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Yayi dismissed four customs officials
after an investigation conducted by the State Audit Office (IGE)
revealed their involvement in a case of customs fraud. An
announcement from the office of the President informed the public of
the dismissal of the four officials. END SUMMARY.



2. (U) In an announcement delivered the evening of August 13,
President Yayi dismissed Colonel Charles Adekambi, the Director of
the Benin Customs, Colonel Marcellin Zannou, the Chief of the
Cotonou Port Brigade, and Mr. Emmanuel Ogouchina and Mr. Honor
Akakpo, respectively Customs Collector and Chief Brigadier of the
Customs office located at Porga, on the Benin-Burkina Faso border. A
report of the August 13 extraordinary Council of Ministers confirmed
the information, giving more details on the case. The four customs
officials were accused of colluding with a well-known Beninese
businessman and owner of the Forwarding Agent COBETRAC, Mr. Daouda
Lawal, to help him evade customs duties through fraudulent
practices. Fifteen fully loaded trucks in transit at the Cotonou
seaport, bound for Burkina Faso, were found empty at the border of
Porga, as the goods were apparently illegally unloaded and sold
without having been cleared through customs. (NOTE: This scheme is
known to be widespread in the customs administration and contributes
to the illicit enrichment of customs officials and businessmen. END
OF NOTE)


3. (SBU) The Government also decided to withdraw Mr. Daouda Lawal's
license which authorized him to operate as a Forwarding Agent and
announced that he would face fines for violating customs
regulations. The GOB also announced that an investigation of his
activities during the last three years would be carried out. New
measures to increase transparency in the customs administration were
also announced.


4. (SBU) Colonel Marcellin Zannou, the dismissed Chief of the Port
Brigade, was the Spokesperson of the Customs Bureau and a strong
political supporter of President Yayi. He ran in the March 2007
legislative elections and was elected National Assembly Deputy under
the umbrella of Yayi's FCBE. He then resigned his seat in favor of
his alternate, preferring to keep his former position at the Cotonou
Port. Colonel Charles Adekambi served as Director of the Port of
Cotonou under Kerekou's former regime and was later dismissed by him
for reasons that are unclear. President Yayi reinstated Adekambi
when he came in power.

(SBU) COMMENT: Some critics have been claiming that, despite
President Yayi's highly visible campaign against corruption, some of
his close collaborators are not above suspicion. By dismissing the
Chief of the Port Brigade, President Yayi demonstrated that his
anti-corruption crusade will not spare anyone, regardless of
political connections, if that person is found guilty of any
economic crime. The Council of Minister's decision, like President
Yayi's anti-corruption campaign in general, appears to be popular in
the press and among the general public. END COMMENT.

LAUTERBACH