Benin ex-minister freed in Spain pending extradition hearing

Benin’s former finance minister has been given conditional bail in Spain following his arrest as part of an extradition request, one of his colleagues told AFP on Friday.

Komi Koutche, who served under the last administration of President Thomas Boni Yayi, was detained in Madrid on December 14 as he headed to Paris from Dakar.

He had been due to attend a meeting of three opposition parties, the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE), Benin Rebirth and the Social Liberal Union (USL).

“He was given conditional bail after appearing before a judge on January 17 pending his appearance related to the extradition request,” Koutche’s former colleague said.

“He currently can’t leave Spanish soil,” he added.

President Patrice Talon’s government has accused Koutche of misappropriating public money and money laundering to the tune of 700 million CFA francs ($1.2 million, 1.0 million euros) between 2013 and 2016, the source said.

The former minister has also been charged in connection with the mismanagement of a national microfinance fund, which he headed between 2008 and 2013.

Koutche, 42,is a former member of parliament for Boni Yayi’s FCBE.

Since Talon won election in 2016, Koutche has been studying at a US university.

Benin has issued an international arrest warrant for another politician, Sebastien Ajavon, who is head of the USL.

He fled to France last year after he was convicted of drugs offences at a special tribunal in a trial his legal team denounced as a sham and politically motivated.

Ajavon, who like Talon is a wealthy businessman, came third in the last presidential election in 2016 and has made no secret of his desire to run again in 2021.

Talon has been accused of trying to muzzle his political opponents and critics but denies charges of growing authoritarianism.

Instead, he maintains his fight against corruption will not spare anyone.