The Special Prosecutor at the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Offenses (CRIEF), Aly Toure, explained that the release of former Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana was based on humanitarian considerations related to his health.
The prosecutor specified that the former head of government will now have to cover his own medical expenses.
Prosecutor Aly Toure, indicated on Thursday that the release of former Prime Minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana does not constitute a reversal in the legal proceedings against him.
Speaking to Guinean media, the magistrate explained that the former head of government, imprisoned in Conakry’s Central Prison for several years, had been hospitalised for a long time due to illnesses developed during his detention.
According to him, the request for provisional release was made by the prosecutor’s office itself for humanitarian reasons.
“This is not a reversal of the situation,” he said. “This is a defendant who has been hospitalized for quite some time. Out of compassion, we asked the Court for his temporary release so that the
proceedings could continue,” the prosecutor stated.
The magistrate also clarified that, upon his release, the former prime minister would no longer receive state-funded medical care.
“For all this time, his care has been covered by the state. But now, his medical expenses are his sole responsibility,” he declared.
According to him, the expenses incurred for his care could exceed 15 billion Guinean francs, or approximately $1.7 million, paid primarily to the Pasteur Clinic.
When questioned about the conditions that might have governed this release, Aly Toure acknowledged that certain security measures had been proposed to ensure the smooth running of the proceedings, even though they were not adopted by the judge.
He warned, however, that any violation of the spirit of these measures could lead the prosecution to ask the Court to reconsider the defendant’s release.
Regarding a possible medical evacuation abroad, the prosecutor indicated that this decision was not within his jurisdiction, reiterating that he was acting solely as the prosecutor in the
proceedings.
As for the continuation of the trial, Aly Toure specified that the upcoming hearing would focus on closing arguments and the prosecution’s submissions, adding that the former prime minister’s
presence remained at his discretion.
“He is free to appear, just as he is free not to appear,” he concluded.
Ibrahima Kassory Fofana, who has been facing charges since 2022 in a case of alleged embezzlement of public funds, was remanded in custody at the Conakry Central Prison in April of that year.
In February 2025, the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Offenses (CRIEF) found him guilty of embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment, and money laundering, sentencing him to five years in prison and a fine of 2 billion Guinean francs, with the confiscation of certain assets.
Despite this conviction, the legal proceedings continue before the CRIEF’s Appeals Chamber, which recently adjourned the case to a later hearing.
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