French billionaire Vincent Bollore and his son, Cyrille Bollore, are facing fresh corruption allegations over their former port and logistics empire in Africa. A coalition of NGOs from five African nations—Togo, Guinea, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon—has filed complaints accusing them of illegally securing port concessions and laundering proceeds from the controversial deals.
The Bollore Group, which once operated 16 ports across 20 African countries, sold its Africa logistics division to the MSC shipping group in 2022 for €5.7 billion ($6.05 billion). However, critics claim the profits stemmed from fraudulent contracts obtained through political influence.
French prosecutors had previously investigated allegations that Bollore’s company provided illicit campaign support to leaders in Togo and Guinea in exchange for port deals in Lome and Conakry. While a legal settlement was initially reached, authorities reopened the case in 2024, calling for Bollore to stand trial on charges of corruption and breach of trust.
The latest complaints extend the accusations to other African nations, asserting that the Bollore Group exploited political ties to win control over key ports, including Douala and Kribi in Cameroon, Tema in Ghana, and Abidjan in Ivory Coast. The collective behind the complaints, “Restitution for Africa,” claims the sale of Bollore Africa Logistics effectively laundered money from these questionable dealings.
Bollore, whose family wealth is estimated at $9.9 billion, has yet to respond to the latest allegations. His media empire in France, which includes several right-wing outlets, has also come under scrutiny in recent years.
