Benin: four police officers involved in a deal, two jailed and two on the run

Four officers from the Akassato police station, under the Republican Police, are at the center of a corruption case making headlines.

Two of them have been placed in pretrial detention while two others are currently on the run and actively sought, according to information from Le Potentiel.

The events date back to the arrest of an individual whose mobile phone contained compromising material. During the proceedings, a financial transaction allegedly concluded between the police officers and the suspect in exchange for his release.

This illegal agreement, subsequently denounced, led to the opening of an investigation. The investigations led to the arrest of four officers on duty at the Akassato police station. Two of them were presented to the Economic and Financial Brigade before being brought before the Special Prosecutor at the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Offenses and Terrorism.

Following this procedure, they were placed in prison. The other two police officers implicated reportedly fled during their transfer to the Economic and Financial Brigade. Their flight is now a priority for the competent services.

Sources close to the case indicate that some of the officers involved reportedly admitted the facts and proceeded to reimburse the amounts received. A move that, however, did not prevent the continuation of the judicial and disciplinary proceedings brought against them.