When Fanirisoa Ernaivo Pressures the Magnate

On the launch of the investigation into Mamy Ravatomanga, Fanirisoa Ernaivo arrived in Mauritius on October 17, carrying a hefty dossier: extracts from bank accounts, correspondence between companies, and evidence accumulated over the years. The Malagasy Minister of Justice personally handed over to the FCC the pieces of a financial puzzle estimated at Rs 7.3 billion, traced back by the commission to Mauritian bank accounts.

A former magistrate, Fanirisoa Ernaivo has long been targeted by the former regime in Madagascar. As the president of the Magistrates' Union, she became known for her frankness and denunciations of political interference in the country’s judicial affairs. After running for president, she was forced into exile in France, where she obtained political refugee status. With the change of power in Madagascar, she was selected by the transitional authorities.

During her hearing at the FCC, she detailed the modus operandi: transfers of public funds to a network of companies operating in Mauritius, Dubai, and several offshore jurisdictions. According to her, the Malagasy justice system possesses substantial evidence proving the use of state funds to finance private business operations disguised as companies linked to Ravatomanga. Complaints have also been filed by the Malagasy Gen-Z movement in Mauritius, alleging that Rs 7.3 billion were thus laundered. Several of the documents submitted contain links to financial structures associated with Mamy Ravatomanga.

The latter denies any wrongdoing, claiming that these funds come from legitimate sources and are intended to pay his employees' salaries. "This case is no longer just a simple suspicion of money laundering. We are facing a complex financial structure where every piece of the puzzle matters," reveals an internal source from the FCC.