Beninese Multi-Millionaire, Sebastien Ajavon Under Fire for Tax Fraud

On the 1st of July 2022, Beninese multi-millionaire Sebastien Ajavon has his properties confiscated by the country’s law enforcement.

This was following a court order on March 22, 2022, convicting the business tycoon of committing a value-added tax (VAT) fraud.

Sebastien was sentenced to five years imprisonment and given a month ultimatum to auction his properties and pay a fine of over $934,800 (160 million CFA francs).

Following the court rulings, some of the properties of the Beninese chicken tycoon were carted away. This was done in the absence of the Beninese multi-millionaire.

Since 2018, Sebastien Ajavon has been residing in France as a political refugee. Before the VAT fraud case, he was arraigned in 2016 and 2018 for cocaine trafficking. 

Although the cocaine case in 2016 was dissolved based on a lack of evidence, he was convicted for the same offence in 2018.

In 2018, he was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment in his absence. Though he is still in exile in France and not serving his jail terms, the Beninese government declared him wanted on the Beninese Justice Ministry site. Also, an international arrest warrant was issued against him.

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Sectors Sebastien Ajavon works in

The Beninese businessman, Sebastien Ajavon, built his multi-million empire in the agri-food and media industry.

He is the founder of some of the country’s notable companies, such as ‘Cajaf Comon’, the biggest frozen chicken company, Sikka TV station, and radio Soleil FM.

Due to the size of his chicken company, he was nicknamed ‘the king of chicken’.

In 2015, Forbes named him the 17th richest person in french speaking sub-Saharan Africa.

Then, he was worth 594 million dollars (350 billion CFA francs). This makes him the second richest man in Benin after the President, Patrice Talon.

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