Anti-terrorism prosecutors in France are probing Groupe Castel for allegedly entering a deal with a militia group in Central African Republic.
The French wine giant is said to have aided militia linked to mass atrocities in the country in exchange for the security of its sugar assets there.
The Sentry, an anti-corruption NGO founded by actor George Clooney and activist John Prendergast announced the probe. Groupe Castel company said on Friday that it will “fully cooperate” with authorities.
In August, The Sentry published a report detailing how Groupe Castel’s France unit helped militia in Central African Republic in exchange for protection of its sugar assets there.
Castel conducted its own inquiry into the sugar-producing unit and concluded that “no material elements or information corroborated The Sentry’s allegations,” a spokesman for the company said.
“The internal probe included conducting interviews, traveling to the country, and analyzing “a large amount of documents,” the spokesman said.
Still, Castel will “fully cooperate with the prosecutor’s office, bearing that in mind that the group has already communicated its internal investigation report,” he said.
The Central African Republic a mineral rich country has suffered conflicts since 2013, when President Francois Bozize was ousted in a coup.
