Former Malian Finance Minister Sentenced to Ten Years Over Presidential Jet Scandal

Edited By : Sekou Kagné

In a high-profile corruption case that has gripped Mali for over a decade, the Bamako Assize Court sentenced former Minister of Economy and Finance Bouaré Fily Sissoko on Tuesday, July 8, to ten years in prison for her role in the controversial 2014 purchase of military equipment and a presidential aircraft.

The case dates back to the presidency of the late Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta and centers on state acquisitions made without public tender — a violation that drew sharp rebuke from international financial institutions at the time.

Sissoko, found guilty alongside other officials, was also ordered to pay, jointly with four others, 40 billion CFA francs (approximately 60 million euros) in damages to the Malian state. Among her co-defendants is Moustapha Ben Barka, a former deputy vice president of the West African Development Bank, who was tried in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment.

The court also handed down a seven-year prison sentence to Colonel-Major Nouhoun Dabitao for forgery and falsification of military procurement contracts. He was further fined 2 billion CFA francs in compensation to the state.

The scandal, which erupted in 2014, led to the temporary suspension of disbursements by the International Monetary Fund, after the government bypassed standard bidding procedures to purchase a presidential aircraft reportedly valued at nearly $40 million, along with military hardware from a local supplier.

Reactions to the court’s decision were swift. Sissoko’s lawyer, Me Tounkara Dianguina, condemned the ruling as excessive, stating, “She is paying the price for others — some of whom are no longer alive.” He confirmed plans to file an appeal before the Court of Cassation in the coming days.

This ruling adds a new chapter to a series of prosecutions linked to the jet affair. In 2021, former Prime Minister Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga, who served as defense minister at the time of the purchase, was detained on related charges of forgery, corruption, favoritism, and influence peddling. He died in prison in March 2023 under contentious circumstances. His supporters accused the ruling junta of neglecting his deteriorating health, claiming he had been denied proper medical care.

The case continues to spark debate in Mali over judicial independence, political accountability, and the legacy of financial mismanagement under past administrations.