Mali’s former Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga was taken into custody on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, by the investigative unit of the National Economic and Financial Division in Bamako.
His detention is part of a probe into alleged embezzlement linked to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Universal Access Fund (AGEFAU), based on findings from the Office of the Auditor General.
The move follows an earlier hearing on August 1 in connection with the investigation, which focuses on suspected financial mismanagement involving the AGEFAU and the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to a statement from his lawyer, Cheick Oumar Konaré, Maïga and several former aides are being treated with full respect by the unit’s personnel and are presumed innocent until found guilty by a competent court. The lawyer added that while confrontations with some former colleagues had been scheduled for August 12, they did not take place, and Maïga was instead formally notified of his custody.
Also detained are Prof. Issiaka Ahmadou Singaré, Maïga’s former chief of staff, and three former administrative and financial directors of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The investigation stems from allegations of public fund misappropriation and financial irregularities detailed in the Auditor General’s report. The report cites inflated travel expenses — including 15 million CFA francs spent on a one-day ceremony in Konobougou, despite regulations capping daily allowances at 75,000 CFA francs — as well as questionable management of the AGEFAU, with unjustified expenditures and contracts awarded without transparent procedures.
As chairman of the AGEFAU board, Maïga is a central figure in the allegations. His management of the Prime Minister’s Office is also under scrutiny, particularly regarding public spending and disputed contracts.
Before his dismissal in November 2024, Maïga had been openly critical of the ruling military junta, notably over the extension of the political transition without government consultation.
MD/ac/sf/lb/as/APA