Latest update: 06/05/2011 

- Alassane Ouattara - elections - Ivory Coast - Laurent Gbagbo


Ousted president grilled over post-election violence

Prosecutors questioned Ivory Coast's former leader Laurent Gbagbo on Friday over his role in the deadly violence that swept across the country after November's disputed presidential election.

By News Wires (text)
 

AFP - Investigators grilled fallen leader Laurent Gbagbo for the first time Friday about post-election violence which engulfed Ivory Coast, as his rival prepared to be sworn in as president.

Nearly a month after his arrest in his presidential residence in Abidjan, Gbagbo was being questioned by the state prosecutor in the northern city of Korhogo where he is now being kept under house arrest -- but without the help of a team of French lawyers who were turned back at the airport.

Alassane Ouattara, Gbagbo's opponent in November's disputed election, is determined that his rival will face justice over the wave of violence which ripped through the west African nation, leaving around 3,000 people dead.

Ouattara, who was regarded by the international community as the winner of the runoff poll, is due to finally take the oath of office on Friday at a ceremony beginning around 1600 GMT in the country's biggest city, Abidjan.

The fighting between the followers of Gbagbo and Ouattara had prompted fears of a return to the all-out civil war which effectively led to a north-south divide in the former French colony at the last decade.

Two prominent French lawyers, Jacques Verges and Marcel Ceccaldi, were hoping to represent Gbagbo during the questioning on Friday but they were denied entry to Ivory Coast on Friday morning as they landed at Abidjan.

The pair were escorted to the departures area where they were to take the next flight to Paris, at 9:40 am (0940 GMT), according to an AFP correspondent.

A third member of the defence team, the Franco-Cameroonian lawyer Lucie Bourthoumieux, was able to pass through passport control as she had rights of residence, but she also decided to fly back with her colleagues to Paris.

Verges said it was clear that the new authorities in charge of Ivory Coast did not want the former president to receive a proper defence.

"I am very pessimistic about the future of a regime which treats lawyers in such a way," Verges said.

Gbagbo was arrested on April 11 with his wife and roughly 100 loyalists following a raid on his residence in Abidjan by pro-Ouattara forces.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, said earlier this week that he would soon ask for authorisation to launch a formal investigation into crimes against humanity in Ivory Coast.

"If the chamber authorises that we can start the investigation, we can go to Ivory Coast and collect evidence," Moreno-Ocampo told AFP.

Although Gbagbo has not spoken publicly since his arrest, he was allowed a meeting on Monday in Korhogo with a delegation comprising South Africa's Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and former Irish president and UN human rights chief Mary Robinson.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Tutu said that Gbagbo wanted to see the country "return to a normal situation."

"(Gbagbo) said that he had to heal the wounds of the country," Tutu said, adding that the former president "appears in good health."

Although the situation has quietened down since Gbagbo's capture, sporadic clashes continue to break out and the authorities are still finding mass graves both in parts of Abidjan and other areas of the country.

The bodies of 60 people killed in recent fighting between government forces and pro-Gbagbo militiamen were retrieved on Tuesday in the Abidjan district of Yopougon, the Ivorian Red Cross said Wednesday.

Several hundred militiamen are believed to still be active in the district.
 

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(1) Reaction

Gel des avoirs de 97 personnesqui ont pactiséavec le régime Gbag

Le procureur de la République d’Abidjan, Simplice Kouadio Koffi, vient de remettre le couvert. En effet, il vient d’ordonner le gel des avoirs de 97 personnes qui ont pactisé avec le régime Gbagbo alors que cela était interdit.

Cette liste qui intervient après une première liste de 148 personnes publiée en mai dernier est composée de Préfets, sous-préfet, Directeurs d’administration, journalistes, présidents d’Associations de consommateurs, hommes en tenue, etc. Le Conseil de l’Union européenne vient donc de renouveler les mesures restrictives à l’encontre de certaines personnes. D’où la réquisition le 08 juin du Procureur de la République.
Propositions
Le Procureur de la République près le Tribunal de Première Instance d’Abidjan Plateau;
Vu les articles 41, 74 et suivants du code de procédure pénale ;
Vu les décisions :
N°2011/17/PESC du Conseil du 11 janvier 2011 modifiant la décision 2010/656/PESC ;
N’°2011/11/18 PESC du Conseil du 14 janvier 2011 modifiant la décision 2010/656/PESC ;
N° 2011/221/PESC du Conseil du 06 avril 2011 modifiant la décision 2010/656/PESC ;
Du Conseil de l’Union Européenne renouvelant les mesures restrictives instaurées à l’encontre de la Côte d’Ivoire aux fins de gel des avoirs des personnes ci-dessous désignées :
1 – SAM Etiassé, préfet d’Abidjan
2- Georges Gnaba Gnahoré Siaba,
sous-préfet de Bingerville
3- Herman ABOA, journaliste
4- Benjamin Zahui, journaliste
5- Gogui Théophile, DG SOGEPIE
6- ANOI CASTRO (Enseignant)
7- Jean Yves Dibopieu, Président SOAP
8- SIDJIRI Bakaba,
Directeur Palais de la Culture
9- YOH Claude, Journaliste
11- Mme Kouadio, DRH du Port
12- LIABI Valentin (SOPIE)
13- Assie Florent
14- Gneheri Boizo Christophe
(DGA du Port)
15- Claude Franck About, journaliste
16- Mme BIOT Epouse Koua Bernadine
17- Zadé Bouazo Michel
18- Sépou Kacou Anasthasie Laure,
19- Dandan Pierre
20- Gnekré, Joseph Ley Thiérry
21- Tihi Kpao Victor
22- Kouamé Bi Bli Robert
23- N’Guessan Ahepka André
24- Takassi Francis
25- Traoré Massiafi
26- Atsé Atsé Jean Claude
27- Néa Kipré (Enseignant)
28- Koné Harouna
(Ministère des Transports)
29- Zingoua Kouadio Franck (Economiste)
30- Abou Touré (Ministre
de l’Economie et des Finances)
31- Guehi Blé
32- Lorougnon Maurice (Economiste)
33- Maître Laoune Koita (District d’Abidjan)
34- Achy Valentin (Primature)
35- Kouamé Oi Kouamé Bernard
(Ingénieur)
36- Mobio Kouedan Roger
37- Coulibaly Yacouba (Ministre
de l’Economie et des Finances)
38- Coulibaly Nadia Epouse Dao
39- Gnahet Jacques (Ministère de l’Intérieur)
40-Ahekpa André (Ministre de l’Industrie)
41- Doukoua Godé
42- Assi Agnan Crepin
43- Toba Blaise
44- Ahouti André Désiré
45- Dago Djahi Lazare
47-Aké Ehouo Joel
48- Deby Dalli Gbalawoulou (journaliste)
49- Lahoua Souanga Etienne (journaliste)
50- Poble Chantal Epouse Golie (Magistrat)
51- Bohui Koué Armand
52- Béonaho Amos (Journaliste)
53- Allali N’Goran
54 – Assi Adon Amedée
55- Kokoré Kouassi
56- Gaudet Saturin
57- Adjehi Ztayé
58-Brou Komoé Marius
59- Dedi Seri (Enseignant)
60- Kacou Jacques
(Ministre de l’Equipement)
61- Mme Kassi Marie-Odile
62- Beni Koffi (Ministère
de l’Economie et des Finances)
63- Soro Seydou (Ministre de l’Agriculture)
64- Doin Doh Urie
65- Koudou Djagoran Constant
66- Mme Apia Née Kouassi Ahou Sophie
67- Fian Albert
68- Bancouly Yapi Jean Marcelin
69- Adja Kouassi Jules
70- Mme Bako Epouse
Likikouet Odette Sauyet
71- Hubert Oulaye
72- Alexandre Assemian
73- Ble Lavry (DGA Trésor)
74- Zagbaï Tapé Arnaud (BNETD)
75- Ouattara Sié (Ministre de l’Economie
et des Finances)
76-Manou Dadjet (Ministère des Mines)
77- Kipré Gnongbo (Ministère de l’Industrie)
78- Touré Aboubacar (Ministère des Mines)
79- Kodei Gnahoré (Ministère de l’Industrie)
80- Réné Déoni-Segui (Enseignant)
81- Assemian Alexandre Clovis
(Cabinet 1er Ministère)
82- Michel Hebert (DG Commium)
83-Nizar Dalloul (PCA Commium)
84- Kacou Guibehi
(payeur general du Trésor)
85- Antoine Nimba Kocounseu
(agent comptable central
des dépôts du trésor)
86- Jacques Assahoré Konan
(agent comptable de la dette publique)
87- Hien Charlemagne (C.I.E)
88- Djama Pierre Edmond Jacques
(Magistrat)
89- Mousso Gnamien Paul (Magistrat)
90- Tayoro Franck Timothée (Magistrat)
91- Zahui Marcelin (D.G
de l’ex –CECEP nouvellement CNC)
92 – A. Félix Tyeoulou –Dyela (Ex-Secrétaire Général du Gouvernement)
93- Mme Abadi Blandine (ex-Secrétaire Général Adjoint du Gouvernement)
94- Mme Dogbo Dobli Esther
Desirée (ex-Secrétaire Général Adjoint
du Gouvernement)
95- Nokou Ange (Chef de service
communication Gendarmerie Agban)
96- Gnahoré Akaï (Adjudant Chef
à la Présidence)
97- Nassa Dakoury
(Préfet de Yamoussoukro)
Requiert les banques et établissements financiers de Côte d’Ivoire de bien vouloir empêcher tous mouvements financiers sur les comptes bancaires appartenant aux personnes ci-dessus mentionnées et d’interdire jusqu’à nouvel ordre toutes transactions sur les actions, obligations et autres titres détenus par lesdites personnes.
Procureur de la République
Koffi K. Simplice
Magistrat Hors Hiérarchie

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