XALIANEWS-an international arrest warrant issued by the Ministry of Justice of Benin against Yérim Sow, a Senegalese businessman, and his collaborator Yigo Faly Thiam. According to the ministry, these two individuals are among the most wanted in the country, occupying third and second places respectively on the list.
On December 23, 2021, the Cotonou Court of First Instance convicted Yérim Sow and Yigo Faly Thiam for several offenses, including fraud, fraudulent overvaluation of contributions in kind and non-presentation of financial statements. Their conviction resulted in a five-year prison sentence, including two years in prison.
The case originated in 2012, when the Teyliom group obtained a 99-year long lease on two hectares of land in Cotonou, with the project of building a luxury hotel. This project, with an expected cost of 10 billion CFA francs, was to be completed within 30 months. However, the Beninese authorities quickly pointed out several serious breaches: considerable delays in the progress of the work, non-payment of annual royalties (only one payment having been made), and the transfer of the lease to a third entity without prior authorization from the authorities.
Faced with these violations, the Beninese state terminated the lease in February 2020, evicted Teyliom from the site and demolished the hotel, even though it was only about 90% complete.
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