Benin: SBEE HR director and two executives placed in pretrial detention
The Human Resources Director of the Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE), Nicaise Antonio, has been placed in pretrial detention by the Cour de répression des infractions économiques et du terrorisme (CRIET). Two other executives of the public company, Adognon Éloi and Djadja Wilfried, were also remanded in custody after lengthy hearings.
The case has been roiling the Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE) for several days. After a week in police custody at the Brigade économique et financière, the Human Resources Director, Nicaise Antonio, was brought before the CRIET with several colleagues. The special prosecutor’s office sees serious grounds for suspicion against him and two other executives.
According to Le Potentiel, a total of half a dozen people are being prosecuted on various charges, notably abuse of office.
But only three of them, including Nicaise Antonio, Adognon Éloi, and Djadja Wilfried, have been placed in pretrial detention. The others implicated have been released under summons, pending the continuation of the judicial process.
The case is considered sensitive enough for the specialized court to closely monitor its progress. The first hearing is expected in the coming weeks and should shed more light on the exact charges against the SBEE executives.
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