Vincent Bolloré has launched a particularly unusual legal offensive against several Parisian magistrates. On May 21, 2026, the businessman filed a complaint alleging, among other things, "criminal conspiracy," "obstruction of justice," and "abuse of authority." This action comes after he was referred to the criminal court in a corruption case linked to the activities of his former group in Togo.
Investigators suspect Havas of having provided political communication services at an undervalued rate in 2010 to support Faure Gnassingbé's presidential campaign. In return, the Bolloré Group allegedly received preferential treatment regarding the management of the container terminal at the port of Lomé. Vincent Bolloré disputes this interpretation and denies any exchange between electoral support for the Togolese leader and his group's commercial interests.
A judicial agreement rejected at the heart of the battle
A plea bargain had been negotiated with the National Financial Prosecutor's Office. It included a fine of €375,000 for Vincent Bolloré, while a separate agreement with the group stipulated €12 million. However, the judge responsible for approving the agreement refused to validate the proposed sentence for the businessman, deeming it insufficient given the seriousness of the alleged offenses.
Vincent Bolloré's lawyers are now accusing certain magistrates of having acted in concert to thwart this agreement and provoke a public trial. This complaint does not automatically call into question the main proceedings, the hearing for which is scheduled for December 2026. However, it opens a new legal front in a case that has become emblematic of the difficulties encountered by the French justice system in investigating the relationships between large corporations, port contracts, and political power in Africa.
