(Ecofin Agency) - Eyes are on French authorities to see how they handle this complaint. In two of the five cases, one was dismissed, and the other led to a settlement. The plaintiffs want what they consider stolen funds to be returned to the African communities affected.

A coalition of 11 non-governmental organizations from five African countries has filed a complaint in France against the Bolloré Group, accusing the company of money laundering and handling stolen assets. The complaint, submitted to France’s National Financial Prosecutor’s Office on March 19, is based on documented investigations spanning several years.

The lawsuit seeks criminal prosecution as well as the return of nearly €5.7 billion ($6.22 billion) in alleged illicit gains. Vincent Bolloré (pictured), the group's main figure, and his son are also targeted in the case. The organizations, united under the collective "Restitution for Africa" (RAF), are demanding not only prison sentences for those involved but also the seizure and redistribution of the disputed funds to affected African communities.

The French conglomerate is accused of benefiting from corruption, favoritism, and influence peddling to secure port concessions in Cameroon, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire. In Togo and Guinea, the company allegedly provided services to national leaders through its media division—formerly known as Havas—to protect its business interests in the logistics sector.

Eyes are on French authorities to see how they handle these allegations, particularly those linked to Togo and Guinea. In a previous case in 2021, a corruption charge against Bolloré related to its operations in Guinea was dismissed due to the statute of limitations, rather than a lack of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, in Togo, the company admitted to corruption and agreed to pay a €12 million fine.

Following that case, Bolloré pledged to strengthen its compliance measures against financial misconduct. However, the RAF collective argues that these efforts are insufficient and insists that any recovered funds should be returned to the affected African communities, not just the French Treasury.

In 2022—one year after reaching the settlement with French authorities—Bolloré sold its port operations to the Italian-Swiss shipping giant MSC.