Former Chief of Staff to Madagascar’s President Sentenced to Prison for Bribery Involving Gemfields
Romy Andrianarisoa, the former chief of staff to Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina, has been handed a hefty prison sentence for soliciting a bribe from Gemfields, the majority owner of Kagem Mining Ltd. The London court delivered its verdict on Friday, May 10th, 2024, sentencing Andrianarisoa to three and a half years behind bars.
The bribery scheme involved Andrianarisoa and her accomplice, Philippe Tabuteau, who sought a substantial sum of nearly USD 300,000 via wire transfer. Additionally, they demanded a 5% share of any Gemfields mining ventures in Madagascar. These requests were made in exchange for purported assistance in establishing a gemstone joint venture in the country.
Tabuteau, who pleaded guilty prior to the court proceedings, received a prison term of two years and three months for his involvement in the bribery plot.
The unraveling of this corruption scheme began when Gemfields reported the illicit solicitation to Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2023. The NCA promptly launched an investigation, deploying an undercover officer to gather evidence, ultimately leading to the arrest and subsequent prosecution of Andrianarisoa and Tabuteau.
As part of their efforts to combat corruption, the NCA released six audio clips from the undercover operation on their Instagram and X accounts, shedding light on the extent of the bribery attempt.
Andy Kelly, Head of the International Corruption Unit (ICU) at the NCA, expressed gratitude to Gemfields for their cooperation throughout the investigation, stating, “We are particularly grateful to Gemfields for not only bringing this matter to our attention but also continuing to work with us throughout the investigation to bring about a successful result.”
Thomas Short, a specialist economic crime prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service, condemned Andrianarisoa’s actions, describing her as a “corrupt official who chose to enrich herself in the course of her public duties.”
He praised Gemfields for their proactive stance in reporting the bribery scheme, emphasizing that their actions have safeguarded not only their business interests but also those of others from the influence of greedy and unscrupulous individuals.
