Jean-Bédel Bokassa: Difference between revisions
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The government prosecutors hired Bernard Jouanneau, a French lawyer to investigate as well as recover some of the millions of CAR francs that Bokassa had diverted from the national treasury and from both social and charity funds for his own personal use in the embezzlement charges. Late in the trial, Bokassa's lawyers tried to bar Jouanneau from testifying. In light of the other heinous crimes Bokassa was charged with, the embezzlement indictment seemed almost insignificant, particularly since Bokassa had clearly already spent most of the money that was stolen. | The government prosecutors hired Bernard Jouanneau, a French lawyer to investigate as well as recover some of the millions of CAR francs that Bokassa had diverted from the national treasury and from both social and charity funds for his own personal use in the embezzlement charges. Late in the trial, Bokassa's lawyers tried to bar Jouanneau from testifying. In light of the other heinous crimes Bokassa was charged with, the embezzlement indictment seemed almost insignificant, particularly since Bokassa had clearly already spent most of the money that was stolen. | ||
On 12 June 1987, Bokassa was found guilty of all but the cannibalism charges. The court acknowledged that many individual allegations of murder had been levelled at Bokassa but found that the evidence was unimpeachable in only about 20 cases. Bokassa was said to have wept silently as Judge Franck sentenced him to death. Szpiner and Gibault appealed the verdict for a retrial on the grounds that the Central African Republic's constitution allowed a former head of state to be charged only with treason. The CAR supreme court rejected the appeal. | On 12 June 1987, Bokassa was found guilty of all but the cannibalism charges. The court acknowledged that many individual allegations of murder had been levelled at Bokassa but found that the evidence was unimpeachable in only about 20 cases. Bokassa was said to have wept silently as Judge Franck sentenced him to death. Szpiner and Gibault appealed the verdict for a retrial on the grounds that the Central African Republic's constitution allowed a former head of state to be charged only with treason. The CAR supreme court rejected the appeal. | ||
On 29 February 1988, President Kolingba demonstrated his opposition to capital punishment by voiding the death penalty against Bokassa and commuted his sentence to life in prison in solitary confinement, and the following year reduced the sentence to 20 years. With the return of democracy to the Central African Republic in 1993, Kolingba declared a general [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty amnesty] for all prisoners as one of his final acts as President, and Bokassa was released on 1 August 1993. | On 29 February 1988, President Kolingba demonstrated his opposition to capital punishment by voiding the death penalty against Bokassa and commuted his sentence to life in prison in solitary confinement, and the following year reduced the sentence to 20 years. With the return of democracy to the Central African Republic in 1993, Kolingba declared a general [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amnesty amnesty] for all prisoners as one of his final acts as President, and Bokassa was released on 1 August 1993. | ||
Bokassa remained in the CAR for the rest of his life. In 1996, as his health declined, he proclaimed himself the 13th [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles Apostle] and claimed to have secret meetings with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope Pope]. Bokassa died of | Bokassa remained in the CAR for the rest of his life. In 1996, as his health declined, he proclaimed himself the 13th [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Apostles Apostle] and claimed to have secret meetings with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope Pope]. Bokassa died of heart failuire on 3 November 1996 in Bangui, at the age of 75. He had 17 wives and a reported 50 children. | ||
[[Category:List]] | [[Category:List]] | ||
[[Category:Male Villains]] | [[Category:Male Villains]] | ||