According to Chris Coleman, the African Press Agency (APA news) is a media created and financed by Morocco to support Moroccan aims in Africa, in particular to disseminate Makhzen’s propaganda on Western Sahara. The notorious French DGSE hacker brought a document containing the minutes of the APA news board meeting which ratified the appointment of the Mauritanian Abdallahi Ould Mohamedy as director of the agency.
Documents revealed by the hacker:

APA

Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting of March 3, 2010

Present:
1. Mr. Mourad Bekkouri, Chairman of the Board
2. Mr. Sidy Gaye, Managing Director
3. Mr. Hakim El ghissassi, Director
4. Mr. Abdallahi Ould mohamedi, Director

11:00 AM: Opening of the session by Mr. Mourad Bekkouri and Adoption of the agenda.

Agenda Items

1. Approval of the minutes of the Board Meeting of March 6, 2009, unanimously by those present.

2. Report of the Managing Director.
Mr. Sidy Gaye, Managing Director (MD), presented the main points of the company’s report (pages 4-16 of the report), and the discussions focused on:

A- Working conditions of APA staff,

The MD noted the following:

• Shareholders’ contributions to the company’s current account have been reduced by 30%.

• APA employs 25 people and has 76 correspondents across the continent.

• In the last two years, 15 people have left APA without being replaced (page 42).

• The agency’s 76 correspondents are four months behind in salary payments.

• Without staff agreement, a 25% salary reduction was imposed on agency staff.

• The salary review is not accepted by employees.

• 17 employees sent a petition to the MD challenging the salary review.

B – Budget Forecast

Sidy Gaye requests a monthly contribution of 50,000 euros from shareholders to the company’s current account for the next six months and a debt regularization. With a clarification of responsibilities within APA TV.

C – APA TV

In response to the section of the report concerning APA TV, Mr. Abdellahi initially stated that APA had not invested in television. The equipment made available to APA belongs to him. He then retracted, confirming that the equipment had been acquired for APA three years ago. Due to a lack of market in Dakar, it was installed in Nouakchott and later sent to Paris for repair. The equipment was repatriated to Dakar in January 2010.

Mr. Abdellahi stated that he is willing to commit to APA TV under the following conditions:

• All decisions and recruitments concerning APA TV must be made by Mr. Abdellahi

• Staff payments will be made from APA TV’s own resources.

• APA TV and APA Photo must be combined into a single entity.

• However, according to Mr. Abdellahi, the profitability of APA TV requires investment in 3 or 4 locations on the continent.

Decisions Made:

The review of the 2010 budget was postponed to April 2, 2010. Mr. Sidy Gaye and Mr. Abdellahi will present a provisional budget to the Chairman of the Board on this occasion, for APA News and APA TV respectively.

3 – Miscellaneous Issues

1 – Recapitalization of APA

Acceptance of the capital increase solution to comply with local laws and rejection of the introduction of new shareholders. At the next meeting, Mr. Sidy Gaye will make proposals regarding the procedures for increasing capital.

2 – Acquisition of a Headquarters

Mr. Sidy Gaye proposed the acquisition of a headquarters for APA by taking out a bank loan with monthly payments not exceeding the current rental costs. An advance of 31,000 euros is needed, and the loan program will be for 5 years.

3 – Termination of Mr. Karamba Guirassy’s Contract

The directors asked Mr. Sidy Gaye to proceed with the dismissal of Mr. Guirassy, who had not performed satisfactorily. Mr. Sidy Gaye announced that, according to the commitments made, he has freedom in the recruitment of his staff and that the directors should not interfere. He also stated that he cannot dismiss a colleague who has not committed any misconduct. After discussion, it was decided that Mr. Guirassy would no longer hold the position of financial director. He will report to the MD, and his salary will be reduced.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Bekkouri committed to a payment of 50,000 euros to APA’s account for the current month.
The representative of the auditor insisted on the obligation to regularize

the company’s financial situation and thus proceed with a capital increase to cover the debts exceeding 2 billion CFA francs.

The meeting ended at 2:05 PM.

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EXPENDITURES AT THE END OF FEBRUARY 2010 with partial inclusion of head office salaries up to 75%
1/ Salaries
Network Salaries (February 2010)	13 400 000
Headquarters salaries (February 2010) / 75%	14 425 000
Total 1	27 825 000
2/ Taxes and social contributions
Tax arrears (9th regularization) in Jan. 2010	500 000
Withholding taxes for the account of Jan.10	1 716 232
Ipres (last quarter 2009)	2 800 541
Social Security Fund (contribution Feb. 2010)	105 840
Health insurance institute (contributions Feb. 2010)	240 000
Total 2	5 362 613
3/ Current management costs
Headquarters rent (March)	2 300 000
SONATEL ( telephone fact January 2010) / headquarters + annex	894 400
SDE (water bill: not yet received)
SENELEC (electricity bill: January 2010) /head office	484 495
IRIS INFORMATIQUE (one-off maintenance invoice)	236 000
ELTON (group and bus gasoline)	172 200
DIS (Security company)	178 080
SFPS (Cleaning Soc)	300 000
Additional rent and rental charges (March)	500 000
Pape Ndiaye (entr. Flowers and phyto. treat.)	125 000
Monthly subscription to daily news	119 050
2010 site hosting fee (once a year)	1 658 644
Total 3	6 967 869
Total charges at the end of February 2010	40 155 482

Investments made during the last four years are as follows:

BUD. INVEST	Prév  Init	2006	2007	2008	2009	Totals
APAnews	565 496 586	144 963 127	17 384 856	2 299 000	3 570 105	168 217 088
APAtv	367 048 954	–	86 107 000	67 378 775	2 500 000	155 985 775
Subtotals	932 545 540	144 963 127	103 491 856	69 677 775	6 070 105	324 202 863

The total amount of investments as of December 31, 2009, is 324.2 million CFA francs, compared to 932.54 million CFA francs initially planned at the start of APA.

As of December 31, 2009, APA had only achieved 34.8% of its initial investment program planned at the start in January 2006, against which the Management had set performance targets. It must therefore be considered that the considerable achievements made to date are the result of an exploit, given the level of investment achieved compared to what was initially planned.

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Dakar, February 6, 2006

To Mr. Mourad Bekkouri,
Chairman of the Board of Directors
of the African Press Agency (APA)

Ref: dg/nd/060210

SUBJECT: Interpellative Letter to the Chairman of the Board


Mr. Chairman,

As I explained to you during our meeting in Dakar, I regret to inform you by this letter that I will not endorse, even temporarily, the execution of a budget that has not been the subject of prior consultation.

To date, I have not been involved in any pre-council negotiations in my capacity as Director and Managing Director. The allocation for January 2010 is contrary to our joint commitments. It deliberately destabilizes the company and thus, incidentally, covers up the predatory actions that I have been constantly reporting to you, without any reaction on your part.

For these reasons and many others, it cannot bind me in any way, neither immediately nor in the long term.

I therefore ask you to draw all the necessary consequences for the proper functioning of the company; pending the holding of the Board of Directors meeting that you have taken the initiative to postpone and that you will convene when you wish.

Please accept, Mr. Chairman, the expression of my distinguished regards.

May ALLAH (SWT) Bless APA, Guide us, and Protect us!


Mr. Sidy GAYE
Director, Managing Director of APA

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CURRICULUM VITAE

Name: BEKKOURI
First Name: MOURAD
Date of birth: 23.2.1961
Place of birth: Souk el arba du gharb
Marital Status: Married and father of two children.
Address: 38 Avenue Madagascar Rabat.

Tel: 05.37.70.75.66
Fax: 05.37.70.75.82
Mobile: 0661.18.85.80
Email: bekkouri_maroc@yahoo.fr


Overview of professional life:

 1982-1985: Journalist in the weekly ALKAWALISS and the magazine AL ASSASS.
 1985-1989: Founder and Managing Director of a tourism company.
 Since 1989: Practicing as a Lawyer.

Summary of Degrees, Training, and Knowledge:

– Baccalaureate in Modern Literature 1978.
– Degree in Private Law 1982.
– Qualified lawyer since 1992, specializing in commercial, civil, criminal, social, and administrative law.
– Training and practice in arbitration.
– Participation in various national and international congresses.
– Active member of the International Union of Lawyers.

Source:

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