High Court of Justice: Trial of former minister scheduled

Former Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Aïssatou Sophie Gladima, will stand trial before the High Court of Justice starting July 22. The opening of this "historic trial" was set by an order signed on July 7 by the First President of the Supreme Court, noting that "the investigation of the case is closed," reports L'Observateur.

The former minister will face serious charges, namely "criminal conspiracy, embezzlement of public funds, fraud involving public funds, money laundering, and complicity." The newspaper specifies that these charges are based on a report from the Court of Auditors and the testimony of his former Director of General Administration and Equipment (DAGE), who stated that he had paid, "on the Minister's instructions," the sum of 73,200,000 FCFA for work in Kédougou. However, "this work had not yet begun at the time of payment," thus constituting a "violation of the provisions of Article 89 of the General Regulations of Public Accounting."

Placed in pretrial detention on May 21, Aïssatou Sophie Gladima was released on July 7 and placed under electronic surveillance. Throughout the proceedings, she "proclaimed her innocence, firmly rejecting the accusations." As a former minister, the newspaper of the Groupe Futurs Médias adds, she benefits from "jurisdictional privilege." Only the High Court of Justice is authorized to try her, with this "significant peculiarity: its rulings are enforceable and not subject to appeal or cassation."