On January 26, a life sentence was requested for Boubou Cissé, former Prime Minister under Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, and several other former officials now in exile. They are implicated in a case involving the purchase of military equipment and accused of corruption.

The facts. In Mali , the justice system is taking a tougher stance against former officials of Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta's regime . On January 26, the prosecution requested a life sentence for former Prime Minister Boubou Cissé, as well as for Mamadou Igor Diarra, Tiéman Hubert Coulibaly , and Babaly Bah, all former high-ranking officials of the Republic who are now in exile.

These requests come as part of the reopening of the so-called Paramount and Embraer trial, a case related to the purchase of military equipment for the Malian Armed Forces (FAMA). Several other defendants, including military officials, face sentences of up to ten years in prison. The defendants are being prosecuted for "forgery and use of forged documents," "misappropriation of public funds," "money laundering," and "complicity."

The context. The alleged events date back to 2015. They relate in particular to a public contract for the supply of armored vehicles awarded to the South African company Paramount LTD, specializing in the defense industry.

At that time, the National Assembly adopted the Military Planning and Programming Law (LOPM), paving the way for the awarding of numerous contracts to private companies, intended to contribute to strengthening the army's capabilities. Billions of CFA francs were committed. Several of these contracts quickly became embroiled in controversy: suspicions of overbilling, procedural irregularities, and alleged embezzlement fueled the questions.