French billionaire Bollore to stand trial on corruption charges regarding Guinea and Togo ports

French billionaire Vincent Bollore is set to face trial on corruption and embezzlement charges related to election campaigns in Togo and Guinea in 2009, 2010 and 2011, the French financial prosecutor's spokesperson said on Thursday.

Bollore is suspected of having bribed foreign officials in Puteaux, a Paris suburb, during the election campaign of presidents Faure Gnassingbe in Togo and Alpha Conde in Guinea, the spokesperson said.

The French tycoon had been placed under formal investigation in 2018 over allegations his company undercharged for work on behalf of presidential candidates in Guinea and Togo in return for port contracts.

Conglomerate Bollore Group, which is controlled and run by the billionaire's family, used to own logistics assets in Africa but sold them to shipping company MSC Group in 2022.