Anti-corruption procedure in Mali: reactions between enthusiasm and vigilance
Soumeylou Boubeye Maïga, then Prime Minister of Mali, with the head of French diplomacy Jean-Yves Le Drian, in March 2019 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
AP - Bebeto Matthews
Text by: David Baché
5 mins
Following the indictment and the committal of former Malian Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubeye Maïga, and former Minister of Economy and Finance Bouaré Fily Sissoko, reactions are very mixed in Mali.
There are those who encourage this transparency operation carried out by the Supreme Court, and those who denounce irregularities in the procedure, fearing an instrumentalisation.
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Soumeylou Boubeye Maïga and Bouaré Fily Sissoko were caught up in two cases dating back to 2014:
that of the purchase of the presidential plane
from ex-president Ibrahim Boubakar Keïta, and that of military equipment contracts.
By combining the two, we are talking about more than 130 billion CFA francs.
► In the spotlight: The placement under lockdown of Soumeylou Boubeye Maïga
Reports from the Court of Auditors and the Auditor General, but also from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), had then pinpointed overbilling and numerous anomalies.
Since their placement in prison, the reactions are
mixed
.
Sory Ibrahima Traoré is among those who welcome the ongoing operation.
President of the Front for Emergence and Renewal in Mali (Fer-Mali), an association created in support of the transitional authorities, he "
congratulates the Malian justice
" and speaks of a "
courageous act
" on the subject of the reopening of the file relating to the problem of the country's military equipment.
Fer-Mali hopes that the procedure will go to the end, that all the people involved in this file will be listened to, that the responsibilities be located, that the funds looted from the Malian people will be paid as well as possible.
Asked by RFI about the fact that some are worried about the method used, "
we do not share this opinion,
" he
says
.
We believe in letting justice do its job.
The Malian people are very thirsty for justice, today we have authorities who have taken their courage in both hands, who want to ensure justice and the rule of law, we strongly support them.
If it happens that abuses occur in the file, we will be there too to describe them.
This enthusiastic support is not shared by all observers.
Brahima Konaté, deputy secretary general of the Malian Human Rights Association (AMDH), remains on his guard regarding respect for the law.
We remain vigilant.
We take note of the reopening of the case, but we ask the judicial authorities to do everything to ensure that the rights of the defense are respected.
It should be truly fair justice for everyone.
These are fears that are there, but we believe that justice is sufficiently equipped to ensure that the basic rights of the different parties are respected.
Today in Mali, continues Brahima Konaté, "
justice goes at two speeds, everything is linked to the questions of power relations of the moment
".
As soon as the former Prime Minister and the former Minister of Finance are no longer in business, if we open their file, then there are fears.
The rules concerning former ministers are provided for in the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Now, if these are not the rules that govern the process that has just been initiated, there are fears.
It is the court of common rights which seized.
His association asks that the procedure be observed "
scrupulously
", in order to avoid "
any other problem that Mali might regret
".
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