French court seeks two in Djibouti death probe

PARIS, Aug 28 (Reuters) A French magistrate has ordered the trial of two close aides of Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh in connection with the death of a French judge in the African country in 1995.

The Versailles court issued a decision on August 20 asking the pair to appear for ''subornation of witnesses'' as part of the investigation into the death of judge Bernard Borrel, whose burned corpse was discovered in Djibouti 12 years ago.

Djibouti authorities initially said Borrel, who was working as a consultant to the country's Justice Ministry, had committed suicide, but his widow, Elisabeth, has accused high-ranking local officials of involvement in her husband's death.

At the time of Borrel's death, Guelleh was the chief of staff for then-President Hassan Gouled Aptidon.

Elisabeth Borrel's lawyer today welcomed the court ruling, which was made public yesterday.

''What makes this a first judicial victory for Mrs Borrel is that behind this ruling on these Djiboutian dignitaries who are close to power, the French justice system is pointing the finger of responsibility at the president of Djibouti,'' her lawyer Olivier Morice said.

International arrest warrants for the two men, Public Prosecutor Djama Souleiman Ali and head of the Secret Services Hassan Said Khaireh, were issued last October.

The pair's lawyer said they would not appear at the Paris court, meaning the trial will take place without them.

''Of course, (they) will not respond to this notification because they explained that judicial cooperation between the two countries having been suspended, they will not receive the authorisation to go,'' lawyer Francis Szpiner said on France Info radio.

Judicial cooperation was suspended between both countries in 2005 after France refused to send a copy of its criminal investigation into the Borrel case to Djibouti.

Earlier this year, a French magistrate sought to question Guelleh himself as a witness in the case while he attended a Franco-African summit in the south of France. But under French law, as a serving head of state, he cannot be forced to testify.

In May, investigators also tried to search the French presidential palace in the final days of the mandate of President Jacques Chirac in an inquiry linked to the Borrel case but their access was blocked even though neither Chirac nor his office was under suspicion.

Chirac had always declined to meet with Elisabeth Borrel but in a break with his predecessor, French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with her in June.

The Borrel case is sensitive for France because Djibouti is home to the largest French military base in Africa.

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