Protesters urge release of jailed I.Coast cocoa officials



ABIDJAN - Hundreds of protesters on Saturday demanded that Ivory Coast authorities release 24 jailed top cocoa industry officials, some of whom have been held for the last year in a corruption probe.
"We are asking for the head of state to show clemency," organiser Marius Bohui told AFP. As head of the state legal machinery, "he can decide on the provisional liberation of the 24 people incarcerated," Bohui added.



Protesters urge release of jailed I.Coast cocoa officials
"We believe that one year without any judgment is too much."
Among the arrested officials are Henri Amouzou, a high-ranking official of the development fund for cocoa and coffee farmers, and Angeline Kili of the cocoa and coffee marketing cooperative.
Ivory Coast is the biggest producer of cocoa in the world but faces a stiff challenge from its neighbour Ghana. Cocoa and coffee make up 40 percent of the country's export income and 20 percent of its Gross Domestic Product.
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Sunday, June 7th 2009
AFP
           


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