• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, March 8, 2021

Back in 2018, French tycoon Vincent Bollore was arrested on charges of corruption related to allegations that his company, Bollore Group, which has a controlling interest in Havas Group parent Vivendi, provided discounted communications services via Havas to two African country presidential contenders (both won) in exchange for contracts to run shipping-port concessions in the countries.

There has been a lot of legal wrangling since then, and the French industrialist believed he was going to get off with a relatively light fine in exchange for an admission of guilt.

Bollore Group agreed to pay about $14 million in fines to settle the corporate case. Vincent Bollore struck a separate deal with prosecutors under which he would personally acknowledge complicity and pay a fine of about a half-million dollars.

But according to French press reports, the judge hearing the case decided the personal plea deal Bollore struck with prosecutors was too lenient, given the serious nature of the offenses. The judge ruled that Bollore should stand trial.

Another magistrate will now decide whether to uphold the judge’s ruling to put Bollore on trial. 

Bollore had been chairman of Vivendi, but stepped down amid the corruption investigation in April 2019, passing the baton to his son Yannick, who is also chairman and CEO of Havas Group.