Mali’s former Prime Minister, Choguel Kokalla Maiga, has been formally charged with embezzling public funds and will stay in detention as his case moves forward. His lawyer, Cheick Oumar Konare, told AFP that while no trial date has been set, they remain calm and await the court proceedings.
The charges against Maiga are broad, also including accusations of damaging public property, forgery, and using false documents. The case implicates several of his former colleagues, with eight currently detained, though his former chief of staff has been released pending trial.
Maiga’s arrest comes amid a wave of detentions within Mali’s military, following suspicions of a conspiracy to overthrow the government. This sequence of arrests has raised concerns that the prosecution may be part of a wider crackdown by the military-led transitional administration, which has ruled the country since 2020.
Once appointed by transitional President Assimi Goita in 2021, Maiga served as prime minister until November 2024, when he was replaced by General Abdoulaye Maiga. His current detention marks a dramatic fall from grace for a man previously seen as the civilian face of Mali’s interim government.
The unfolding trial is expected to attract national and international attention, highlighting ongoing concerns about governance, accountability, and political instability in Mali. For now, Maiga remains in custody, underscoring the precarious and unpredictable nature of leadership in the country.
