Guinea's former PM Fofana jailed for five years for embezzlement

A Guinean court jailed former prime minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana for five years Thursday for embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment and corruption.

Fofana, who has been in prison since April 2022, headed the government under civilian president Alpha Conde from May 2018 until the military seized power in a September 2021 coup.

He was found guilty by a special court for financial crimes (CRIEF), set up by Guinea's military leaders shortly after taking power.

The former premier was also ordered to pay a fine of two million Guinean francs ($230,600, 220,000 euros) and 18 billion Guinean francs in damages and interest, judge Lansana Soumah said.

Fofana was accused of embezzling 15 billion Guinean francs earmarked for anti-Covid measures and economic and social programmes under president Conde.

He is the latest of many former leaders, opposition figures and civil society members to be detained or brought before the courts under the junta.

Guinea's military leaders have promised to prioritise combatting endemic corruption in the impoverished west African state.

In November 2022, the junta ordered prosecutors to take legal action against former president Conde and more than 180 other officials and ex-ministers for alleged corruption.

The special anti-graft court in December sentenced Mohamed Diane, a highly influential defence minister under Conde, to five years in prison for embezzlement, illicit enrichment, money laundering and the corruption of public officials.

While junta chief General Mamady Doumbouya has insisted there would be no "witch hunts", the opposition has denounced the repression of freedoms and the manipulation of the justice system.