Ivory Coast is definitively closing the door to illicit financial flows. During a press conference held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the public prosecutor at the Economic and Financial Criminal Division (PPEF), Aboya Jean-Claude, reaffirmed his institution's absolute determination to combat money laundering in all its forms.

This offensive targets not only financial criminals, but also all their accomplices.

A national priority aligned with global standards

For the prosecutor, the roadmap is clear: to bring Côte d'Ivoire into line with the best international standards in financial transparency. The objective is twofold:

1. Severely punish those who commit economic crimes.
2. Protecting the country's reputation by permanently distancing it from the surveillance of foreign financial institutions (a dynamic initiated by intensive efforts since October 2024).

"Ivory Coast is not and will never be a haven for criminal capital of any kind," Aboya Jean-Claude insisted, while guaranteeing that this fight would be carried out in strict compliance with the rule of law and the rights of the defense.

Attack the methods rather than "the money"

Returning to the very concept of money laundering—which aims to reintroduce funds of criminal origin into the legal system—the prosecutor used irony to get his message across: “To all those who say and think that money has no smell, I agree with you. Indeed, ‘dirty’ money does not exist in itself. It is the methods, techniques, and processes used to obtain it that do. Our role is to unmask these techniques.”

A strengthened legal arsenal

To facilitate the work of the financial prosecutor's office, Ivorian legislation has been considerably strengthened, notably through a key ordinance dated November 23, 2023. From now on, the repressive arsenal rests on two major pillars:

1. The autonomy of prosecutions: It is no longer necessary to wait for a conviction for the original offense (drugs, corruption, etc.) to prosecute money laundering. Simple objective indications of the dubious origin of the funds are sufficient.
2. Reversal of the burden of proof: Faced with complex financial arrangements, it is up to the suspect to prove the lawful origin of his assets, a strong measure which nevertheless respects procedural safeguards.

The PPEF's message is clear: the fun is over for fraudsters and shadowy facilitators.