Mamy Ravatomanga Case - Rosewood Trafficking: FCC Targets Offshore Companies
Mamy Ravatomanga Case - Rosewood Trafficking: FCC Targets Offshore Companies
Irshaad Olitte
Monday, December 1, 2025 - 13:00
The Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) is investigating a rosewood trafficking case involving Malagasy businessman Mamy Ravatomanga, who was arrested on October 24. This case dates back to 2011 and involves the trade route from Madagascar to Mauritius and China.
The FCC has reopened an investigation into the alleged rosewood trafficking linked to Mamy Ravatomanga. This case concerns the illegal export of 120 tons of logs between Madagascar, Mauritius, and China.
Mamy Ravatomanga, who was apprehended in Mauritius on October 24, is suspected of orchestrating this trafficking through his company, Sodiat Group. The investigation also aims to identify Mauritian offshore companies that may have facilitated the laundering of funds generated from this illicit activity, along with the accountability of local banking executives.
A Case Dropped in 2013
In June 2011, six containers of rosewood were intercepted in the harbor of Port Louis by the Mauritian customs. The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) then initiated an investigation, which was dropped on November 21, 2013 due to lack of cooperation from the Malagasy government, led at that time by Andry Rajoelina. There were also suspicions regarding a government member in Mauritius at the time.
Testimony from a Former Minister
The investigation was revived following the intervention of Anthelme Ramparany, former Malagasy Minister of the Environment, who provided new evidence to the Réduit Triangle. He accuses Mamy Ravatomanga and former President Andry Rajoelina of corruption, illicit enrichment, misappropriation of public property, and illegal export of rosewood.
According to Anthelme Ramparany's statements, Mamy Ravatomanga controls a rosewood trafficking network intended for the Asian market, using Mauritian companies to launder the funds. The National Financial Prosecutor's Office is also conducting a cross-border investigation into other alleged actors. In Madagascar, a financial and administrative director of Sodiat Group has been sentenced to five years in prison for rosewood trafficking.
A Coveted Precious Wood
Rosewood, with its dark reddish-purple heartwood, grows in the humid forests of Eastern Madagascar. Nicknamed "the ivory of the forest," it has been protected and banned from trade since 2010. Sought after for making guitars and luxury Chinese furniture, this wood fuels a lucrative trafficking business. Its essential oil is also used in perfumery. In April 2016, the six containers seized in Mauritius in 2011, containing about 120 tons of logs, were repatriated to Madagascar.
The Sodiat Empire
Maminiaina Mamy Ravatomanga founded the Sodiat holding company in 1990, of which he is the CEO. The group operates in various sectors: logistics, agriculture, media, press, and real estate. Its activities began with the transport of fuel in tankers between Tamatave and other Malagasy cities.
Close to the ousted President Andry Rajoelina, Mamy Ravatomanga was viewed as his advisor and was referred to as the "Shadow President." Andry Rajoelina was overthrown last October by the military of the Corps of Army Personnel and Administrative and Technical Services (CAPSAT).