Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Opposition Demands Minister Resign Over Graft Allegations

   Peter Clottey 23 June 2010
   Ivory  Coast  President  Laurent  Gbagbo (R) speaks with Ivory Coast's
   prime  Minister  Guillaume  Soro  before a meeting at the presidential
   palace in Yamoussoukro on February 18, 2010 after last week's surprise
   sacking of the cabinet by President Laurent Gbagbo

Photo: AFP

   Ivory  Coast  President  Laurent  Gbagbo (R) speaks with Ivory Coast's
   Prime  Minister  Guillaume  Soro  before a meeting at the presidential
   palace in Yamoussoukro on February 18, 2010 after last week's surprise
   sacking of the cabinet by President Laurent Gbagbo. (file)

   A  prominent  member  of  the  opposition  Democratic  Party  of Côte
   d'IvoireâAfrican  Democratic  Rally  (PDCI-RDA) told VOA his party has
   issued  a  one-week  ultimatum  seeking  the  resignation of a cabinet
   minister over allegations of corruption.

   Michele  Koffi  accused  President  Laurent  Gbagbo  of sabotaging the
   countryâs  electoral  process  by  ordering  a  probe  into  the graft
   allegations against Interior Minister Desire Tagro.

   âFour  opposition  parties  have said that they are not happy with the
   situation  going  on.  And then, definitely, we know that the power of
   Laurent  Gbagbo  is  really corrupted. And then, it is not the duty of
   the  president  to  undertake  those  kinds  of  issues. It is for the
   parliament to undertake the investigation,â he said.

   President  Gbagbo  ordered  the investigation after Mamadou Koulibaly,
   head  of Ivory Coastâs National Assembly, or parliament, accused Tagro
   of nepotism and embezzlement.

   Interior  minister  Tagro  is also accused of favoring people from his
   region for places at a police training school and embezzling money set
   aside for the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

   Opposition  leader  Koffi  warned the government to take the ultimatum
   seriously.

   âWe give one week for the minister to resign. If not, we will take our
   responsibilities  on  the  ground  and  then troubles will be going on
   because he cannot be minister for Interior and Security Affairs and be
   under investigation,â Koffi said.

   President   Gbagboâs  investigation  is  also  expected  to  focus  on
   accusations  that  Tagro  embezzled  money  paid to the country by the
   Trafigura  Company  as  compensation  for  the  victims of toxic waste
   dumped in the countryâs economic capital, Abidjan, in 2006.

   Koffi said that other opposition parties do not have confidence in the
   outcome of the presidentâs investigation.

   âThe  point  is,  we  donât believe in justice from Laurent Gbagbo. We
   donât  believe  that,  under  the power of Gbagbo Laurent, we have the
   opportunity  of justice. We donât trust him, (and) that is the point,â
   Koffi said.

   Prime   Minister   Guillaume   Soro  was  also  linked  to  the  graft
   allegations. But, his supporters rejected the accusation saying it was
   without merit.

   Meanwhile,  scheduled  elections  in  Ivory  Coast  have  so  far been
   postponed  seven  times  since  President  Gbagbo's mandate expired in
   2005.

   Opposition  groups  have often accused Mr. Gbagbo of clinging to power
   since  his  constitutional  mandate expired and undermining efforts to
   organize general elections, a charge his supporters deny.

.