Gambiaj.com – (BAMAKO, Mali) – A scathing report released on December 30, 2024, by Mali’s Office of the Auditor General (BVG) has revealed significant financial irregularities at the Universal Access Fund Management Agency (Agefau) between 2020 and 2023, accusing high-ranking officials, including the junta’s former Prime Minister Choguel Maïga, with potential involvement in corruption and mismanagement.

The 113-page audit lays bare a series of troubling findings that point to the misuse of public funds and a lack of transparency in decision-making processes within the agency, which is responsible for managing public access to essential services.

At the heart of the revelations is a controversial loan of over 20 billion FCFA (approximately 30 million euros) that was allocated to the Public Treasury in April 2020. According to the BVG report, the loan was granted under irregular circumstances and raises serious questions about the accountability of Agefau’s financial practices.

Additional findings underscore a pattern of lavish spending by the agency, including excessive expenditures for staff members and a failure to pay royalties owed to the state-owned national broadcaster, ORTM.

The report also highlights the disappearance of vital educational equipment, leading to suspicions that funds intended for schools may have been either misappropriated or poorly managed.

Perhaps the most damning allegations involve two trips taken by Choguel Maïga in December 2023, which are said to have incurred exorbitant and unjustified expenses exceeding 47 million FCFA (about 71,600 euros).

The BVG asserts that these mission costs were unplanned and lacked proper documentation or justification, raising further concerns about the former Prime Minister’s role in the mismanagement.

While rumors suggested that Maïga could be summoned to the Supreme Court on January 2, 2025, to face these allegations, his entourage has denied any such plans in an interview with RFI. Nonetheless, the BVG has formally forwarded its findings to the accounts section of the Supreme Court, which could trigger legal proceedings against those implicated.

The release of the report has sparked a fierce public outcry, with widespread calls for accountability and transparency in the handling of public funds. As the investigation continues, Malians are left awaiting further developments, including possible legal action that could have far-reaching political ramifications.

This latest scandal adds to growing concerns about the integrity of Mali’s public sector and the management of state resources, with many questioning whether this marks a turning point for reform or further entrenchment of corruption within the country’s institutions.