GUINEA: Former PM Fofana jailed for embezzlement

A Guinean court jailed former prime minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana for five years Thursday for embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment and corruption. Fofana, who has been in prison since April 2022, headed the government under civilian president Alpha Conde from May 2018 until the military seized power in a September 2021 coup. He was […]

A Guinean court jailed former prime minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana for five years Thursday for embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment and corruption.

Fofana, who has been in prison since April 2022, headed the government under civilian president Alpha Conde from May 2018 until the military seized power in a September 2021 coup.

He was found guilty by a special court for financial crimes (CRIEF), set up by Guinea’s military leaders shortly after taking power.

The former premier was also ordered to pay a fine of two million Guinean francs ($230,600 or 220,000 euros) and 18 billion Guinean francs in damages and interest, judge Lansana Soumah said.

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Fofana was accused of embezzling 15 billion Guinean francs earmarked for anti-Covid measures and economic and social programmes under President Conde.

France has spent years preparing a “reorganisation” of military relations after the forced departure of its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where military-led governments hostile to the ex-colonial ruler have seized power in recent years.

The final report by the EU’s Election Observation Mission’s noted several irregularities in the election.

“Although the EU EOM did not observe systematic flaws during the voting process, the subsequent counting phase lacked in transparency and insufficient safeguards to ensure the integrity of the count,” it said.