The former Director General of the National Police (DGPN), Louis Philippe Houndégnon, prosecuted by the Court for the Repression of Economic Offences and Terrorism (CRIET), will have to wait until Monday March 24, 2025 for the outcome of his trial.
At the hearing on Monday March 17, the special court announced the postponement of the case to that date, to allow time for the public prosecutor to formulate his case against the former high-ranking police officer, who has been compulsorily retired.
Two charges rejected by Houndégnon
Louis Philippe Houndégnon is charged with incitement to rebellion and harassment by electronic means. In court, he pleaded not guilty, claiming to be a victim of his public statements.
He maintains that his media statements were aimed at preventing any attempt to implicate him in the attempted coup, a case in which the names of Olivier Boko and Oswald Homéky are mentioned.
The former police chief firmly denied any involvement in acts of destabilization. ” You will never hear my name associated with such things,” he insisted to the judges.
According to him, his troubles began after he criticized the reform of the Republican Police, which he deemed ineffective, as well as the law introducing compulsory retirement.
He has also denounced the national strategy to combat terrorism, which he considers to be out of line with standards in this field. As for the accusation of harassment by electronic means, Houndégnon defended himself by asserting his lack of mastery of digital tools: “I don’t know anything about digital technology to harass people,” he declared.
The next hearing, scheduled for March 24, will allow the public prosecutor to formulate his closing arguments, and the court to continue its examination of the case.