CRIET: five years in prison for the former chief clerk of the Parakou court and his assistant.

According to information from Libre Express, the special court found the former chief clerk guilty of abuse of office and his assistant guilty of complicity. Both men were sentenced to a term of sixty months, or five years of hard imprisonment, along with a fine of two million CFA francs each.

In contrast, the three other defendants, including the court’s accountant, were acquitted due to the benefit of the doubt. The convicted individuals have a legal period of fifteen days to appeal.

A stricter decision than the prosecution’s requisitions

During the hearing on March 16, 2026, the public prosecutor had requested a sentence of sixty months in prison, of which eight months were to be served, along with a fine of 500,000 CFA francs against the two main accused. The Court ultimately opted for a fully enforced sentence and a significantly heavier financial penalty.

According to the evidence submitted, the proceedings followed several complaints from users of the Parakou court. The prosecution argued that the assistant regularly handed over funds to his superior that were derived from practices deemed incompatible with their functions. It also indicated that the former chief clerk had acknowledged certain facts during the preliminary investigation.

The court’s accountant, suspected of involvement in certain financial operations, was acquitted after the debates established that the funds in question had been transferred to the public treasury.

Having been in preventive detention since August 2025, the former chief clerk and his assistant have always contested the facts. Their lawyers had requested their acquittal, particularly citing the benefit of the doubt. But they ultimately did not succeed.