Businessman Yerim Sow takes legal battle to international stage against Benin

Yerim Sow, a businessman already convicted by the Cotonou court and subject to an arrest warrant in Benin, is waging a significant legal battle on another front. Since 2020, Sow and his team of lawyers have been attempting to sue the Beninese state at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), an institution created by the World Bank. This case, which has been under investigation since October 2020, took a new turn with the appointment of Franco-Iranian judge Yas Banifatemi, a renowned figure in international arbitration. In April 2024, Judge Banifatemi requested that both parties submit their written pleadings, marking a crucial stage in this complex dispute.

Sow, represented by a prestigious team of international lawyers from firms such as Klein Warner, Far Avocats, and L.pa-Cgr, is challenging the demolition of his hotel, a project in which he claims to have invested nearly 20 billion CFA francs. According to his legal team, the establishment, already facing financial difficulties, was destroyed by Beninese authorities before it was even completed. In response, the Beninese state has submitted judicial decisions and evidence to the ICSID court, based in Paris and Washington, alleging that Sow failed to meet the commitments made during the project's allocation under the previous government, prior to President Patrice Talon's rise to power.

As reported by "ConfidentelDakar" and noted by DakarActu, the Beninese state has also mobilized substantial resources to defend its interests, engaging its legal representative and the international law firm Squire Patton Boggs, known for handling high-level disputes. Both sides appear determined not to yield ground in this legal battle, whose outcome could have significant repercussions.

The ICSID decision, expected in 2025, will be decisive for both parties.