Sébastien Ajavon, one of Benin’s most successful businessmen, has been fined more than $300 million for allegedly evading taxes over the last few years.
According to Le Figaro, Ajavon, who ran in last year’s presidential election, is accused of using several businesses he owns to execute an elaborate tax dodge in the years 2014, 2015 and 2016, and allegedly owes the taxman hundreds of millions of dollars.
Ajavon, who is known in Benin as “the king of chicken”, has declined to comment publicly on his massive tax bill. According to media sources, a team of five tax inspectors pitched their tent in Ajavon’s companies between from May to mid-August this year.
Ajavon, 52, built his fortune in the food and media industries. He is the founder of Cajaf-Comon, Benin’s largest supplier of Frozen chicken, and he owns the Sikka TV station and Radio Soleil FM, among other ventures. Last year, he contested for President and received almost a quarter of the votes in the first round of the presidential election, coming in third. He then dropped out of the race and supported fellow businessman, Patrice Talon, who won the elections.
This is not the first time Ajavon is having a run-in with the authorities. In October last year, he was arrested after an 18 kilogramme shipment of cocaine, with a street value of $16 million, was discovered in a container heading for one of his properties. He was released after a week, and charges were later dropped.