In a move to strengthen integrity within its public administration, the government of Burkina Faso has initiated legal proceedings against a number of officials on charges of corruption.
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, approximately ten officials and public servants from the Hauts-Bassins region appeared in court to answer to allegations of illegal practices, according to a press statement released by the State Comptroller General.
These individuals, comprising current and former members of the Regional Directorate of Agriculture, Animal Resources, and Fisheries (DRAA-HB), face prosecution for offenses including bribery, abuse of office, misappropriation of public funds, and illicit enrichment. The legal action follows thorough investigations conducted by the High Authority for State Control and the Fight against Corruption (ASCE-LC).
The investigation’s findings reportedly revealed instances of officials allegedly demanding illicit payments of 25,000 CFA francs for field visits conducted outside of sub-divisional boundaries for file processing, with these funds then being diverted for personal gain. Other officials are accused of illegally collecting rental fees from a housing project, personally profiting from these collections, and authorizing expenditures in violation of established public procurement regulations.
Financial services managers within the implicated directorate are also under suspicion of orchestrating or facilitating the misappropriation of a portion of the income generated from these illegal rental activities.
The prosecution has requested suspended prison sentences of 12 months for the accused, along with significant financial penalties ranging from 5 to 67 million CFA francs, with a minimum of 1 million CFA francs to be paid in full. The prosecution has also sought maximum judicial restraint against the defendants.
The civil parties in the case include the National Anti-Corruption Network (REN-LAC) and the Burkinabe government, represented by the AJE and the ASCE-LC. They are seeking damages amounting to 500,000 CFA francs and 25,269,000 CFA francs, respectively, underscoring the financial impact of the alleged corruption. The ongoing prosecution signals a continued commitment by the Burkinabe government to combat corruption and promote accountability within its public sector.
HO/te/Sf/fss/abj/APA