The general manager of the Dayo Group, a fast-growing brokerage firm, was arrested on the night of Monday, October 14 at Cotonou airport as she got off the plane. Déborah Gnagne was returning from a mission in Abidjan. According to available information, the arrest, without any reason or prior summons, was orchestrated by agents of the Economic and Financial Brigade. This arrest would be linked to a complaint filed by his former employer and current competitor, the company ASK Gras Savoye.
The company is reportedly accusing Dayo of recruiting some of its employees and using its assets for its own operations.
After initially taking the matter to the Cotonou Commercial Court, where the case has stalled, ASK Gras Savoye finally turned to criminal proceedings, accusing its former employee of poaching its staff and using your equipment, according to a court officer. When contacted, Dayo Group employees denied these allegations. They specify that among the 13 employees who left ASK Gras Savoye, 9 were on fixed-term contracts (CDD) and their contracts had expired. Only three employees were on a permanent contract (CDI) and had given their notice in accordance with the rules of the art.
So many elements that raise questions about this arrest, in a case that, had it succeeded, should have been decided by the Cotonou Commercial Court. This arrest comes as a surprise in a country known for its reforms aimed at improving the business climate.
The latest news is that the economic and financial brigade raided Dayo Group’s premises and confiscated employees’ mobile phones. The latter continue to claim that they left of their own free will and that the new company Dayo does not use any funds belonging to ASK Gras Savoye to carry out its activities. “It is clear that the acts alleged against Madame Déborah are not criminal. Moreover, a trial is underway before the commercial judge for the same facts,” explains a member of the staff, convinced of the victory of the law over intimidation and arbitrariness. Our attempts to contact ASK Gras Savoye are currently unsuccessful.
As a reminder, the insurance brokerage company Dayo Group has just taken over control of Consass in Burkina Faso. This brings three subsidiaries of the company opened in Benin in 2023 and with another subsidiary in Guinea since February 2024.
