London court starts hearing corruption charges against Djibouti tycoon

LONDON- A court in London has started hearing corruption charges levelled against a Djiboutian business tycoon Wednesday to determine if the government of Djibouti falsified evidence in order to label the country’s richest man.

Abdurrahman Boreh, a former presidential candidate for Djibouti has been battling the charges including terrorism for years after he was expelled from Djibouti under the orders of President Ismail Guelleh.

The UK court has earlier ruled against Djibouti court’s 2013 decision to freeze his assets, discrediting previous witnesses accounts, ignoring to pay particular regard to what the judge described as their ‘motives and to overall probabilities.

In one case, the Djibouti government presented an audio of Mr. Boreh speaking to someone on attacks in Djibouti as evidence; however, Mr. Boreh denied the authenticity of the audio.

Djibouti’s government has also raised question about Mr. Boreh’s proprietorship share in Horizon Terminal, an oil terminal with a 300,000 cubic meters capacity and contracts he allegedly signed with Dubai’s DP World.

The company manages Djibouti port, Africa’s largest container terminal and Djibouti’s biggest employer.

Mr. Boreh has declined comment about the hearing.

The business tycoon has fled his country to Dubai and a Djiboutian court has later convicted him in absentia and sentenced to 15 years in prison. During the hearing, the court’s judge has accused him of being behind a number of hand grenades that were detonated in the capital, Djibouti city, including one thrown into a police station.

 

He denied all accusations, and accusing the government of making up the charges.