Benin court gives 20-year sentences to coup plotters

Two close associates of Beninese President Patrice Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for plotting a coup against the government.

Olivier Boko, a prominent businessman and confidante of the president, and Oswald Homeky, a former sports minister, were found guilty of “conspiracy against state security” and “corruption of a public official” by the Court for Financial Crimes and Terrorism.   

The court heard testimony from the head of the presidential guard, Colonel Djimon Dieudonné Tevoedjre, who alleged that Homeky had approached him in September with a plan to overthrow President Talon. Boko was implicated as the alleged mastermind behind the coup attempt.

The conviction has raised concerns among opposition figures and human rights groups who accuse President Talon of using the judiciary to suppress dissent. While Benin has historically been considered a stable democracy in West Africa, critics argue that Talon has consolidated power since his 2016 election, including through changes to electoral laws.

Despite his re-election in 2021, President Talon has pledged not to seek a third term, a commitment that aligns with Benin’s constitutional limits on presidential tenure.

The defendants’ lawyers boycotted the verdict proceedings, citing concerns about the court’s impartiality. In addition to their prison sentences, Boko, Homeky, and a third defendant, Rock Nieri (sentenced in absentia), were ordered to pay substantial fines and collectively compensate the Beninese state with 60 billion CFA francs ($95 million).

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