▁France ▁interven ed ▁with ▁two ▁operations ▁that ▁sought ▁to ▁remove ▁B ok assa ▁from ▁office , ▁the ▁final ▁one ▁being ▁Operation ▁Bar rac uda . ▁ ▁President ▁Val ery ▁G is card ▁▁ ▁Val ery ▁G is card ▁became ▁the ▁president ▁of ▁France ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁where ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁B ok assa ▁was ▁more ▁interactive ▁than ▁previous ▁administr ations . ▁During ▁his ▁first ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁B ok assa ▁presented ▁him ▁with ▁diam onds ▁and ▁iv ory ▁car v ings . ▁G is card ▁ad vised ▁B ok assa ▁to ▁avoid ▁a ▁ceremony ▁to ▁the ▁scale ▁of ▁Napoleon ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Central ▁African ▁Empire ' s ▁financial ▁situation ▁and ▁though ▁B ok assa ▁ignored ▁G is card ' s ▁warning , ▁G is card ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁con gr at ulate ▁B ok assa ▁on ▁the ▁transition ▁to ▁Empire . ▁Their ▁relationship ▁made ▁news ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁October ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁when ▁a ▁newspaper ▁named ▁the ▁Can ard ▁En cha ine ▁broke ▁a ▁story ▁about ▁B ok assa ▁giving ▁thirty ▁car ats ▁of ▁diam onds ▁to ▁G is card ▁and ▁accused ▁him ▁of ▁giving ▁G is card ▁a ▁ple th ora ▁of ▁g ifts ▁on ▁his ▁vis its ▁to ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁These ▁included ▁ele ph ant ▁t us ks , ▁iv ory ▁car ved ▁objects ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁pre cious ▁stones ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁worth ▁one ▁million ▁fran cs . ▁This ▁sc andal ▁was