Oswald Homeky, the ex-sports minister, was apprehended just after 1 a.m. on Tuesday while delivering six bags of cash to the head of the republican guard, who oversees the security of President Patrice Talon.
Investigators revealed that Homeky and businessman Olivier Boko had bribed the military commander to ensure he would not oppose a coup set for September 27.
Prosecutor Elon’m Mario Metonou stated that Boko and the military commander were also arrested, with investigations continuing to identify additional suspects.
Since 2020, West and Central Africa has witnessed eight military takeovers and numerous other coup attempts.
This follows a period in which the region had made progress in overcoming its image as a “coup belt,” only for ongoing insecurity and corruption to revive military leaders’ actions.