He’s one of Côte d’Ivoire’s largest employers – a wealthy businessman and philanthropist with friends in high places. The arrest of Abbas Badreddine, the CEO of Plastica, a leading West African plastics company, has left Abidjan’s political and business class in shock and awe, and many questions are being asked.
The Ivorian-Lebanese entrepreneur, who is heavily involved in the Ivorian-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was remanded in custody at the Maison d’Arrêt et de Correction d’Abidjan (MACA) on 17 July, along with a dozen other Ivorians of Lebanese origin. This spectacular arrest came as part of a wide-ranging investigation into suspicions of fraudulent acquisition of nationality and passport smuggling, after Qatar, the European Union, and other jurisdictions had alerted the Ivorian authorities.
The Plastica success story
Badreddine is suspected of having fraudulently
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