Diamond Affair

Jean-Bédel Bokassa

Not to be confused with Diamond Necklace Affair.

The diamonds affair, known in France as "l'affaire des diamants", was a major political scandal in the5th French Republic. In 1973, the then Minister of

Finance, president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing was offered two diamonds from the Central AfricaEmperor, and notorious dictator, Bokassa I. The affair was unveiled by the satiric newspaper Le Canard Enchaîné on October 10, 1979. It contributed to Giscard's losing the 1981 presidential election.

SOURCES:

• Titley, Brian (2002-02-22). "10: Operation Revenge". Dark Age: The Political Odyssey of Emperor Bokassa. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. pp. 136–151. ISBN 978-0-7735-2418-7. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
• Dowell, William (18 November 1980). "Le Monde raises government hackles with diamond scandal questions". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 28 February 2012.