Word: bokassa
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...revised vision of the presidential role, Giscard can be haughty and even arrogant. No better example exists than the furor aroused by a gift of diamonds he received from former Central African Despot Jean-Bédel Bokassa. When the issue was first raised in October 1979 Giscard stubbornly refused to divulge details. Last month the President disingenuously justified the delay in facing the issue by saying that "no one ever asked me the question." He said that the diamonds had been sold, and the proceeds donated to charity. That donation, it turned out was made only a month before...
...President's image has been tarnished not only by the whiff of scandal -to this day he has refused to respond to accusations that he received diamonds from former Central African Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa-but by the deterioration of the aura of technocratic competence that long marked his management of economic and foreign affairs. Unemployment has reached a new record of 1.6 million (6.9%), inflation is galloping along at an intractable 13.6%, and growth is virtually...
...control has not been total. The present trouble began in the autumn of 1979 when Le Canard reported that the President had, as both Finance Minister and President, accepted gifts of diamonds worth more than $240,000 from the tyrannical Central African Republic "Emperor" Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who was deposed last year with the help of French troops. Le Canard also published Giscard's 1978 income tax return, pointing out that he continued to be an active shareholder in the Paris Bourse while making decisions that presumably could affect his stock prices. Then Le Monde (circ...
Last September, Le Canard reported that Bokassa had hired a journalist named Roger Delpey to write his biography. He turned over to Delpey some 187 documents, many believed to be embarrassing to Giscard. Delpey was arrested on charges of "compromising the external policy of France" and jailed without trial. The documents were seized. Later, several that were considered crucial to Delpey's defense were removed...
...Sometimes we cover Africa as though it's a four-alarm fire in Brooklyn. We spend too much time on the crisis, the single, flashy event like Bokassa's coronation and not enought on serious issues like Nigeria's return to civilian rule," Lamb says...