Cote d'Ivoire's human rights league, LIDHO, condemned on Wednesday what it said was renewed intimidation of the family members of deposed Ivorian president Henri Konan Bedie.
But a spokesman for the ruling military government, Desire Dakori, dismissed the accusations as "nonsense".
In a statement released on Wednesday, LIDHO said soldiers had gone to the locality of Pepressou, some 250 km north of Abidjan, on 23 March and seized "all vehicles belonging to the Bedie family, considered to be state property". It added that four of the vehicles were returned on the orders of Ivorian military leader General Robert Guei.
However Dakori, denying all of LIDHO's report, told IRIN on Thursday that the soldiers had repossessed some 12 government-owned four wheel drive vehicles. None, he added, belonged to the Bedie family.
LIDHO, the Ligue ivorienne des droits de l'Homme, also said in another incident on 14 March soldiers entered Pepressou and tortured one Bedie family employee with hot plastic.
The human rights body said on this occasion soldiers seized televisions, computers, gold, and 12.45 million francs CFA (US $18,000) belonging to family members of former finance minister Niamien N'goran. LIDHO added that N'goran's brother and sister were also tortured.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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