Allassane Tigri, former minister and vice-president of the opposition party Les Démocrates, was placed in provisional detention on Thursday, January 29, as part of the judicial investigation into the attempted coup on December 7 against President Patrice Talon. The older brother of Lieutenant Colonel Pascal Tigri (presented by the authorities as one of the main presumed authors of this coup attempt), he was arrested for acts related to the same case.
Facing the Court of Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism (CRIET), the former minister is charged with three counts: undermining the authority of the state, complicity in murder, and treason. His detention is part of the continuation of the judicial investigations opened after the failed coup.
According to sources, Allassane Tigri was arrested late in the afternoon on Wednesday, January 28 at his home in the Mènotin neighborhood in Cotonou. His arrest followed the execution of an arrest warrant issued by the investigating judge in charge of the case.
At this stage of the proceedings, more than fifty people are in provisional detention in this case, while about fifteen arrest warrants have been issued by the Beninese justice. The judicial authorities continue their investigations to establish responsibilities in this case, which continues to attract strong attention on the national political scene.
