Benin’s US$95 Million Airport Security Award Survives French Court Challenge
An international arbitration award arising from Benin's cancellation of a contract with Securiport survived a challenge in France, according to specialist arbitration reporting.
Archive note: the original publication date could not be verified. March 14, 2021 is an assigned catalogue date for this record.
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An international arbitration award arising from Benin's cancellation of a contract with Securiport survived a challenge in France, according to specialist arbitration reporting.
The underlying dispute began after the Beninese government revoked a contract for aviation and immigration security services in 2016. Securiport pursued compensation through International Chamber of Commerce arbitration and obtained an award reported at approximately US$95 million in 2019.
Benin argued in later proceedings that the award should be set aside on corruption-related grounds. A French court refused the requested annulment, according to Global Arbitration Review.
This development is important because arbitral awards are not retried in full every time a party asks a national court to set them aside. Challenges generally turn on limited legal grounds, making the distinction between the court's decision and the broader history of the commercial relationship essential.
The award decision and its treatment in France do not establish that every reported claim made in separate domestic proceedings is false. Each case must be assessed against its own evidence and legal standard.