Journalists Loïc Lawson (left) and Anani Sossou (right). Screenshot taken from the Mises à jour au Togo YouTube channel, from the video titled, “Togo–Les journalistes Loïc Lawson et Anani Sossou déposés en prison.” The arrest and imprisonment of two Togolese journalists in mid-November highlights the precariousness of journalists’ rights in this West African country. On November 15, 2023, Loïc Lawson, newspaper editor for Flambeau des Démocrates, and independent journalist Anani Sossou, were arrested after the Togolese Minister of Urban Planning, Housing and Land Reform Kodjo Adedze filed a defamation complaint against them. The case stems from a burglary at Minister Adedze's home. Although the exact date of the incident remains unknown, news of the burglary had been circulating on Togolese media since November 5, when the two journalists reported details of an alleged theft of FCFA 400 million (USD 666,302). Sossou posted on his Facebook page: #Togo: Almost FCFA 400 million stolen from Kodzo Adédzé’s home in Kovié This intriguing affair took place in the small village of Kovié, within the Zio prefecture. On Sunday November 5, the Minister of Urban Planning and Land Reform, Kodzo Adédzé, discovered that the trifling sum of almost FCFA 400 million had disappeared from his home. According to the weekly newspaper, Le Flambeau des Démocrates, the alleged perpetrator of the theft was a young man from Benin who was living it up by buying various goods, like tricycles and motorcycles. The young man from Benin was subsequently arrested by the judicial police, who went to the scene of the burglary to do their report and interview the minister who was robbed. Why do ministers of the Republic keep such large sums of money at their homes instead of simply putting them in a bank or setting up companies to tackle the unemployment crisis affecting young graduates? There is great concern that the Gabonese practices when Ali Bongo Ondimba was overthrown are now taking place in Togo, where boxes filled with hundreds of billions of FCFA were found in the homes of his inner circle. Although it has been enshrined in Togolese law for several years now that the country’s civil servants and high-ranking officials declare their assets, this has been slow to materialize. Let’s hope that this stolen sum of money is included in the minister’s assets and was legally earned. At present, neither the origin nor the exact amount of the money stolen from the minister are known. It is hoped the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) will take this investigation all the way to shed light on this scandal for Togolese citizens. That same day, media outlet Flambeau des Démocrates posted on X (formerly Twitter): #Togo c'est près de 400 millions de FCFA qu'un jeune d'origine béninoise a volé au village au domicile du ministre #Adedzé selon notre source proche de l'enquête. Le jeune a été arrêté suite aux nombreuses dépenses (achat de +sieurs motos et tricycles.) qu'il faisait suite au vol pic.twitter.com/Ar52uK3DeM — Flambeau des Démocra (@fdesdemocrates) November 5, 2023 #Togo According to our source close to the investigation, it was a young man from Benin who stole almost FCFA 400 million from the village home of the minister, #Adedzé. The young man was arrested due to the considerable amount of money he spent after the burglary (purchasing several motorcycles and tricycles) pic.twitter.com/Ar52uK3DeM — Flambeau des Démocra (@fdesdemocrates) November 5, 2023 According to French newspaper LeMonde, the minister did report the burglary to the police, but the amount was not disclosed. Government authorities filed a complaint in response to the posts that both journalists shared. However, on November 12, they subsequently retracted their statements in another Facebook post, explaining that the amount originally published on social media was an overestimation: #Togo: According to a source familiar with the matter, the amount burgled from the home of the Minister of State Kodzo Adédzé, was an overestimation. This case has been a hot news topic in our country and online for several days now. The Minister of State [and][ the Minister of Urban Planning and Land Reform experienced a burglary at his home a few weeks ago. Money was stolen by the burglars. Although we agreed on an estimated amount of FCFA 400 million at the outset, extensive investigations and sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the amount reported was overestimated and didn’t actually reach FCFA 400 million. No one is disputing the burglary itself, but the amount has been overestimated. The ongoing police investigation will tell us what happens next and the actual amount that was stolen.