Former Malian Prime Minister Choguel Kokalla Maïga has been placed in prison by the Supreme Court’s investigating chamber after a week in police custody at the National Economic and Financial Center in Bamako.
Judicial authorities, citing a report from the Office of the Auditor General, accuse him of damaging public property through forgery, use of forged documents, and financial embezzlement.
The probe covers his management of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Universal Access Fund Management Agency (AGEFAU) between 2020 and 2023, and the Telecommunications and Postal Regulatory Authority (AMRTP), with investigators flagging several billion CFA francs in irregular spending, including questionable loans, undocumented phone subscriptions, inflated travel costs, and non-transparent contracts.
Maïga, a key figure in the June 5 Movement – Rally of Patriotic Forces (M5-RFP), was appointed Prime Minister in 2021 during Mali’s transition but was dismissed in late 2024 after opposing the military’s prolonged rule.
He was first questioned on August 1 and 12 before being held in custody until his court appearance on August 19, when the chamber confirmed his incarceration.
While his former chief of staff, 80-year-old Issiaka Ahmadou Singaré, was also prosecuted, he was not detained.
The case remains under judicial review, with no hearing date yet announced.
