Since December 25, 2009, Mr. Simon Pierre Adovelande, National Coordinator of Benin's Program for the Millennium Challenge Account is undergoing an injustice and a flagrant violation of human rights from the Beninese government, particularly from the head of State, President Boni Yayi.
As a matter of fact, on Friday, December 25, 2009, Mr. Simon Pierre Adovelande was arrested by National Police and placed in custody, a government statement; the command centre of the RAID, a section of the Benin National Police, specialized in repression of crime.
The official reason served to the public, shocked and appalled by such brutality, is the involvement of the person concerned in the management of a private limited company called Bezaleel Building Group (SA GBB), as Chairman of the Board of Administration and specialized in real estate. The real reason is reflected in the growing popularity of Simon Pierre Adovelande because of his moral values, discipline and professionalism in the implementation of MCA-BENIN ; and above all, in the increasingly persistent rumours of his claims for presidential elections in March 2011 that hinder the power and decided to break his curse.
In March 2000, Adovelande Simon Pierre and his friends have established the Bezalel Group Building (GBB), a company whose main object is to develop real estate business. In 2001 and in the framework of for a government housing program, GBB has won the tender in two areas of real estate that can accommodate about 1042 low-cost housing to be built on its own fund raising intiatives.
To this end GBB has had to resort to Shelter Afrique and the OPEC Fund, private institutions specializing in financing real estate in Africa. These two organizations have granted GBB loans in 2003 and 2004 totalizing 2.235 billion CFA francs of which 1.825 billion CFA francs have been disbursed for the implementation of 323 housing units fully sold, built and on which 203 have been delivered. It should be noted that these loans were not guaranteed by the Benin government
For commercial reasons, especially the plastering costs of disposal of certain types of housing by the government, GBB has made huge losses that do not allow it to meet its repayment obligations when due vis-à- vis its lenders..
It is clear from the foregoing that GBB, the Board of Directors of which Adovelande Simon Pierre is the Chairman, is in no way accusable of a criminal offense. The company is in temporary financial difficulty and at best liable to a business process with its partners, the aim of which should be research and commitment of ways and means to resume its activities and the repayment of loans made to it.
Instead, Simon Pierre Adovelande and Isaac AGOSOU, the Director General of GBB were arrested on December 25, 2009 (Christmas Day) and brought to the civil prison of Cotonou since December 29, 2009, arbitrarily, on the basis of counts fanciful, like common criminals. Upon their arrest, the government and the counsel for Shelter Afrique in Benin, tried with much media noise, to present to the public their version of the events, in the old style of African dictators of the 70s and 80s.
After questionings and hearings of the plaintiff and confrontations that have clearly shown that we are in a business process and that the charges against Mr. Simon Stone Adovelande are fully identified, he is still detained at the civil prison of Cotonou. Only the constant search for truth can justify detention of the accused, detention should also be an exceptional measure and freedom the rule, as stated in Article 118 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The plaintiff has, himself, admitted that if GBB-SA had consistently met its financial commitments in respect of creditors, this case would never have existed, which shows that we are in a purely commercial process.
On several occasions, before he was arrested Simon Pierre Adovelande had received several emissaries of the ruling regime in Benin, urging him to abandon his presidential ambitions. The complainant had until his arrest given no response to theses demands that continued even during his incarceration.
To all the friends of Adovelande Simon Pierre, who approached President Boni Yayi to intervene for his release, President Yayi has always denied his involvement in the affair, which confirms that his is really behind the whole machinery. Democracy and human rights are seriously threatened in Benin. For this reason we appeal to all groups and all associations of Human Rights to consider the case of Simon Pierre Adovelande and Isaac AGOSSOU who are deprived of their liberty since 25 December 2009 and detained in civil prison in Cotonou.
On behalf of the committee of support of Simon Pierre Adovelande,
France, Section
Raymond ADJAKPA-ABILE
Consultant & Director of Publication AfriQualité
[email protected]
Copyright, Blaise APLOGAN, 2010,© Bienvenu sur Babilown
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