At the hearing of the economic and financial center (Ecofi) on Monday May 08, 2023, “Terry”, assumed name, cried in front of the judges. Indeed, he is being prosecuted by the Bobo TGI prosecutor’s office for alleged acts of influence peddling and money laundering, and complicity.
The offense of trading in influence is an offense which consists for a person or an agent of public powers, in receiving gifts from another person in exchange for the granting, the promise to the latter of the advantages . As for money laundering, it is a process by which the illicit source of assets or proceeds obtained through criminal activity to mask the connection between the funds obtained and the original crime.
After his arrest for these presumed facts, Terry is placed in pre-trial detention at the Maison d’Arrêt et de Correction de Bobo (MACB) pending his judgment.
At the May 8, 2023 hearing, Terry’s lawyer requested his provisional release. Faced with this request, the prosecution did not oppose, he asked the court to grant him provisional release. In turn, the criminal court decides to release him on bail under judicial supervision. This means that Terry will no longer be in jail, but he must appear before the judge every Wednesday at 8 am. In addition, it should not come out of the jurisdiction of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Bobo-Dioulasso either. After just the pronouncement of this provisional release decision, Terry could not contain his tears. At the stand, he shed tears in front of the judges before being led by prison security guards to the MACB where he will be released on bail. In the meantime, the file is postponed to May 22, 2023.
Ben Alassane DAO
