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| Chad - Ambassador Zakaria Idriss Déby Itno Brother of Interim President |
About
Zakaria Idriss Déby Itno is the younger stepbrother of Chad’s interim president and the son of its former president.
His father, Idriss, ruled with an iron fist for more than 30 years, until he was killed during a battle with rebels in April 2021. Under the autocrat’s rule, corruption and nepotism were rampant. In 2010, Idriss appointed Zakaria to run the national airline and, following the airline’s collapse two years later, named his son deputy director of the presidential cabinet.
After Idriss was killed, his older son, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, took power and appointed Zakaria ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. The two are reportedly political rivals and clashed after their father’s death.
Political Career
- Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (2018-present)
- Director general of Chad’s national airline (2010-2012)
Leaked Details in the Pandora Papers
Leaked documents reveal that Zakaria held shares in a Seychelles company, Odian Consulting Ltd., along with a cousin and an alleged arms dealer. The corporate formation firm All About Offshore (Seychelles) Ltd., or AABOL, created Odian Consulting for the three men in 2008, when Zakaria was 22. The documents do not provide additional details about the owners, why the company was formed or what assets it held.
The other shareholders were his cousin Yosko Youssouf Boy, a former assistant director of protocol under former President Idriss Déby, and David Abtour, who was once married to the sister of one of the late president’s ex-wives. The status of the firm is unknown, according to the Seychelles company registry.
As part of its 2018 West Africa Leaks investigation, ICIJ reported that Abtour helped deliver ammunition and helicopters to Chad’s army before a bloody conflict with Sudanese-backed rebels.
Deby did not respond to repeated requests for comment sent to the Chadian embassy in the UAE. Abtour did not reply to a letter sent to his address in France, and a person who answered a phone call there hung up on an ICIJ reporter. Boy could not be reached for comment.
Secrecy Broker
At the heart of the Pandora Papers are 14 offshore firms that help clients establish companies in secrecy jurisdictions. This profile draws on leaked data from these providers:
1. AABOL
All About Offshore, or AABOL, is a Seychelles-based company-formation and management agent that says it helps clients create tax-exempt shell companies in less than 24 hours and keeps their information confidential.
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