Benin: the Dangnivo case is an unfinished business according to Anselme Amoussou

​Sixteen years after the mysterious disappearance of Pierre Urbain Dangnivo, a senior official at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the judicial outcome of this case continues to provoke strong indignation.

Reacting to the outcome of the trial, the Secretary General of the Confederation of Autonomous Unions of Benin (CSA-Benin), Anselme Amoussou, provided a frank analysis of the conduct of the proceedings and the decision made. His remarks, reported by the daily newspaper Le Matinal, present a harsh assessment of the functioning of the judicial system.

​According to the union leader, this trial, both in its proceedings and its final verdict, in no way enhances the credibility of Benin’s justice system or the trust that citizens are entitled to place in it. He believes that at no point during the process does the sentiment of a genuine desire to seek the truth come through.

​To support his claims, the head of CSA-Benin highlights a series of anomalies and inconsistencies that marred the hearings. He particularly points to the incongruous involvement of several personalities and the shocking statement from a former Director General of the National Police who claimed from the witness stand that he knew the identity of a person who could help reveal the truth, a lead that did not clarify the case.

​Furthermore, fundamental questions related to the autopsy and the identification of the body continue to divide even the family of the missing person. The revelations of the main accused, who stated that he was taken from his cell to be driven to the Togolese border, have added to the general confusion.

​The court’s refusal to consider the expert opinions deemed crucial by the defense marked the ultimate breaking point, prompting the lawyers to leave the courtroom and withdraw their pleas. For Anselme Amoussou, all these shortcomings leave a sense of unfinished business and permanently tarnish the significance of this judicial decision.