Two close associates of Benin’s President Patrice Talon were sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday, January 30, 2025, following their arrest last year on suspicion of plotting a coup in the West African nation.
Olivier Boko, a businessman and longtime friend of President Talon, and Oswald Homeky, a former sports minister, were found guilty of “conspiracy against state security” and “corruption of a public official” by the financial crimes and terrorism court in Cotonou, the country’s capital.
The two men were arrested in September after allegedly attempting to bribe the president’s security commander to facilitate a coup. According to Elonm Mario Metonou, the special prosecutor for Benin’s financial crimes and terrorism court, Homeky was apprehended while handing over six bags of money to the head of the presidential guard.
During the trial, the head of the presidential guard, Colonel Djimon Dieudonné Tevoedjre, testified that Homeky had contacted him in September to orchestrate a coup against President Talon.
Boko, widely regarded as Talon’s “right-hand man,” was accused of masterminding the coup attempt and was arrested separately. His arrest came shortly after he expressed interest in running in the 2026 presidential election.
A third individual, Rock Nieri, Boko’s brother-in-law, who remains at large, was convicted in absentia on the same charges.
Despite Benin’s reputation as one of Africa’s most stable democracies, opposition leaders and human rights groups have accused President Talon of using the judicial system to target political opponents since taking office in 2016. Critics also claim he amended electoral rules in 2021 to consolidate power.
Following his re-election three years ago, Talon pledged not to seek a third term in the 2026 election. Benin’s constitution limits presidents to two terms.
The defendants’ lawyers walked out of the proceedings before the verdict was delivered, in protest against the court’s composition.
In addition to their 20-year prison sentences, the court ordered the three men to pay 60 billion CFA francs ($95 million) in damages to the Beninese state. They were also fined 4.5 billion CFA francs ($6.8 million) each.
(AP)
