Guinea: Former president to face murder and corruption charges
Guinea’s Justice Minister, Alfonso Charles Wright has ordered judges in Conakry and Kankan to start the prosecution process against former President Alpha Conde and many of his former ministers on public embezzlement and corruption charges.
Photo: Guinea’s Justice Minister, Alfonso Charles Wright
On Thursday 3rd November 2022, Wright released a list of 180 individuals which included former Prime Minister Dr. Ibrahim Kasory Forfana, former Defence Minister Dr. Mohamed Janneh, former Security Minister Dr Albert Damantan Camara and several others who had held government posts during Mr Conde’s 11 year rule. They are all accused of stealing public money for their own benefit.
Conde, who is currently in Turkey to seek medical treatment, is alleged to have embezzled millions of US dollars between 2010 and 2021 while he was in power. The 87 year old was overthrown in a military coup led by Col. Mamadi Doumbouya on September 5th , 2021 after changing the constitution in 2019 which allowed him to stand for a controversial 3rd term, despite opposition by the majority of the population. Over 100 people were killed during the referendum to change the constitution and also after the presidential election in 2020.
Photo: Former Guinea president Alpha Conde
After Alpha Conde was ousted in 2022, he was placed under house arrest but pressure from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union led to his release and subsequent exit to what was officially announced as “medical treatment” by the Junta. However, in August 2022, the Doumbouya government asked the Turkish government for Mr Conde to return but that hasn’t yet materialised.
Mamadi Doumbouya - Guinea’s current president
Several of Conde’s ministers including Dr Forfanah, Dr Janeh and Mr Camara have been held in prison for over five months on corruption charges and have not yet faced a trial.
Critics have accused Col Doumbouya and his current government of arresting former ministers and sending opposition leaders into exile to stop them from standing as presidential candidates in the next general election after the transition ends in two years time.
