Benin: reopening of the Dangnivo case with the appearance request for Philippe Houndégnon required by the defense

Barely having reopened the debates, the defense made a major strategic request that could significantly change the dynamics of this sixteen-year-old case.

It is the lawyer Me Olga Anassidé who stirred the waters by formally requesting the Court to summon a central figure of security under the previous regime: General Louis Philippe Houndégnon, former Director General of the National Police (DGPN).

To justify this request, the defense relies on recent media statements from the high-ranking police officer. The former DGPN has indeed publicly and explicitly stated that he possesses crucial, yet unrevealed information regarding the ins and outs of the disappearance of the civil servant from the Ministry of Finance in August 2010.

A key witness for the manifestation of the truth?

For the defendants’ counsel, particularly for Codjo Cossi Alofa, the testimony of the former head of the national police has now become indispensable for revealing the truth.

Louis Philippe Houndégnon held strategic positions at the time of the events and the initial investigation, a period marked by ongoing controversies surrounding the authenticity of the exhumed body in Womey and rumors of political machination.

This request from Me Olga Anassidé now suspends the debates pending the court’s decision, which must rule on the appropriateness of summoning the former DGPN to testify. If the Court grants this request, the former DGPN now has the opportunity to share everything he knows about this case with the Court. Light may emerge from his testimony.