CRIET: Verdict postponed to July 30 for the TikToker Barnabé.

On Thursday, June 25, 2026, the correctional chamber of the Court for the Repression of Economic Offenses and Terrorism (CRIET) decided to postpone its deliberation in the case of TikToker Barnabé to Thursday, July 30, 2026.

Pending this final deadline, the content creator on TikTok has been returned to his cell.

A reprieve granted to the defense to produce new evidence

This latest delay in the trial is not due to the Court, but responds to an express and strategic request from the TikToker’s lawyers, Me Boris Glèlè and Me Hugo Koukpolou. During the hearing, the defense attorneys requested additional time to submit new crucial evidence to the file, hoping to tip the scales in favor of their client before the final deliberations.

The judges granted this request, thereby extending the influencer’s preventive detention.

Eight years in prison demanded

To understand the nervousness of the defense, one must go back to the particularly severe requisitions made by the public prosecutor during the hearing on March 12, 2026. Charged with fraud via an electronic system, Barnabé Azongnidé faces, according to the requisitions from the public prosecutor, 8 years of imprisonment (96 months) and 4 million FCFA in fines. And 5 years of imprisonment and 2 million FCFA in fines were requested against his co-defendant.

The special prosecutor justifies this severity by citing the state of legal recidivism. The TikToker had already served a three-year prison sentence for acts related to cybercrime before benefiting from a conditional release.

This strictness is contested by his lawyers, who point out that the prosecutor’s requisitions exceed the legal ceiling of seven years prescribed by the digital code for this type of offense.

From “Cuisine d’Or” to the nets of CNIN

After his first release, Barnabé had seemingly embarked on a very lucrative career change into online catering. Through his “Cuisine d’Or” concept, he sold his dishes live on TikTok, capitalizing on the strong notoriety of his relationship with influencer Laura. The duo notably grabbed attention by openly displaying large bundles of banknotes in their videos.

It was this lifestyle and the technical analysis by experts from the National Center for Digital Investigations (CNIN) that precipitated their downfall in November 2025. Investigators claim to have discovered compromising cybercriminal data in one of the young man’s phones. While Laura was ultimately released after their presentation to the special prosecutor, Barnabé was sent immediately back behind bars.

The verdict on July 30, 2026, will determine whether his digital reinvention allows him to escape a heavy sentence.