A publishing director and a journalist were convicted of “defamation” and “complicity in defamation” in Burkina Faso. They are each fined one million CFA francs with a suspended sentence.

The indicted journalists are authors of an article in which they accuse the current Minister of Economy and the Directors-General of Taxes and Customs of having caused the country to lose money during a transaction involving the company mini& considered to be non-transparent Engrave; re IAMGOLD Essakane. Indeed, in an article published in the investigative newspaper Le Reporter published in June 2023, the journalist accused the Directors-General of Customs and Imports, and the Minister of the Economy of having caused the State to lose tens of billions of CFA francs. The newspaper pointed to “irregularities” in a transaction between customs services and the mining company IAMGOLD Essakane

The latter believe that the Customs Code of ECOWAS and UEMOA was not respected and these “shortcomings” resulted in a big loss of money at the expense of &# 39; State.