Incarcerated in a case of alleged fraud, the former Malian Prime Minister has been heard for the first time by a judge.
According to Jeune Afrique, “le Tigre” was heard in this case by a judge of the indictment chamber of the Supreme Court. A surprise hearing for his lawyers who had been asking for several weeks for his trial because of his fragile health. The former Prime Minister remained faithful to his line of defence, firmly rejecting the “accusations” made against him. His lawyers intend to submit a new request for provisional release.
Head of government between 2017 and 2019 under former President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga is imprisoned since 26 August 2021. He is being prosecuted for “forgery, use of forgery and falsification of documents,” as well as for “infringement of public property by embezzlement” in the context of the purchase of a presidential plane worth 30 million dollars (20 billion CFA francs) and contracts worth several tens of billions of CFA francs for the purchase of military equipment.
The former Malian PM, a potential candidate for the next presidential election, the date of which is not yet known, is also accused of having “given in to solicitations tending to corruption,” “abuse of real or supposed influence with a view to obtaining advantages” and of having made “arrangements to receive undue advantages” in the exercise of his duties by the Attorney General of the Supreme Court
The Office of the Auditor General, which has been investigating what is commonly referred to in Mali as the “Air IBK case,” accused SBM, at the time minister of defence, of having overcharged for the aircraft purchased in 2014.
CD/lb/abj/APA