FORMER FINANCE MINISTER BROUGHT IN FOR QUESTIONING

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000687 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC GV SUBJECT: FORMER FINANCE MINISTER BROUGHT IN FOR QUESTIONING ¶1. (SBU) According to multiple sources, Ousmane Dore, the former minister of finance, was brought in for questioning by the Judicial Police on November 7. Dore had originally been appointed under former Prime Minister Kouyate, and was one of the few Kouyate appointees retained in Prime Minister Souare's administration. President Conte fired Dore in early October. Over the past several months, Dore has been heavily criticized by the press, and by numerous Embassy contacts, for alleged corruption. Internet news site Guinee24.com, which is strongly biased in support of Kouyate, frequently refers to the former finance minister as Dr. Ousmane "Judas" Dore. ¶2. (SBU) Although the specific allegations against Dore are unclear, he has been accused in the press of embezzling public funds (especially funds related to Guinea's 50th anniversary celebration) and for facilitating a non-transparent contracting process. Dore reportedly spent several hours at the police office, with two private lawyers in attendance. ¶3. (SBU) Embassy contacts report conflicting information as to the circumstances of Dore's detention. Most sources indicate that Dore was detained and then eventually released on Friday after President Conte intervened and demanded his release. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The international community has worked closely with Dore and generally thinks very highly of him. A polished technocrat, he is widely credited as the man responsible for restoring Guinea's IMF Poverty Reduction Strategy Program. At the same time, Dore has been unpopular among his GoG colleagues (even during Kouyate's administration) because of his efforts to reform public finance, which included the implementation of financial controls that effectively blocked high-level, carte blanche access to public funds. While it is possible that Dore's hands are tainted by corruption, the current administration may be making him the scapegoat for the government's weak performance, citing a general mismanagement of public funds and difficulties in getting budgeted funds released. President Conte intervened in two other possible corruption cases against recently fired officials, effectively killing the investigations before they ever got started. END COMMENT. RASPOLIC