Mbola Joseph Rajaonah, commonly known as “Mbola Tafaray,” former special adviser to former President Hery Rajaonarimampianina, is currently under investigation by the Independent Anti-Corruption Bureau (BIANCO). He is suspected of involvement in a case of false customs declarations.
The investigation began on July 4, 2017, in Toamasina, when BIANCO’s Antsinanana Regional Office was mandated by its General Directorate to open a file on Mbola Joseph Rajaonah’s professional activities. This decision followed numerous complaints received by BIANCO several months earlier. To protect sources, the identities of the complainants have not been disclosed. “We are also not in a position to reveal the charges at this stage, as the investigation is ongoing. However, it is important to inform you that, based on the complaints and preliminary inquiries, we have identified numerous economic and financial crimes warranting investigation. The information collected points to various illegal acts falling within BIANCO’s jurisdiction, hence this investigation,” explained BIANCO’s Director General, Jean Louis Andriamifidy, during an interview at his office in Ambohibao on Friday, November 23. The head of BIANCO neither confirmed nor denied direct links between this case and rumors circulating in recent weeks in local media concerning suspicious transactions involving rosewood trafficking or false customs declarations. “We respect the secrecy of the inquiry, so we are awaiting the conclusion of the investigations. The alleged offenses relate solely to his professional activities,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, M. Rajaonah’s lawyer, Maître Eric Rafidison, declined to comment on the case’s details, at least concerning the charges against his client. He stated that his client and associates comply with the law and that his silence is due to respect for the confidentiality of the inquiry.
Caution
In Toamasina, Customs Receiver Tolojanahary Ramaherison also remained cautious. He refrained from commenting on the case during our meeting for this investigation. “We know nothing; I have no information to provide you,” he responded when asked for a reaction. However, he mentioned that Mr. Rajaonah’s transit company is no longer operational, a fact confirmed by another source, a former service provider to the company.
Mr. Ramaherison also indicated that BIANCO regularly sends requisitions to his services for information, a statement corroborated by BIANCO’s Director General, Jean Louis Andriamifidy. Indeed, requisitions have been made by BIANCO concerning the customs activities of “Mbola Tafaray.” This suggests that at least one of the accusations against Mr. Rajaonah involves the activities of his transit company, Tafaray, at the port of Toamasina. The full extent of the allegations remains unknown at this stage.
A Long-Term Investigation
According to the latest information from BIANCO, Mbola Rajaonah is actually the subject of two separate investigations that may be interconnected. The first case concerns Toamasina. Since the opening of this file on this young and influential economic operator in 2017, BIANCO has faced difficulties progressing in its inquiry.
It is noteworthy that on September 17, 2018, BIANCO’s General Directorate submitted a request to the Ministry of Interior and Decentralization for a travel ban (reference no. 496-18/BIANCO/DG/IS) on Mbola Rajaonah. The request was approved, and the ban was issued on November 13, 2018 (reference no. 228-MID/SG/DGQT/DIE/SCE). However, the Council of State suspended this decision three days later following an injunction filed by the concerned party.
The second case is also under investigation following a judicial delegation from the Anti-Corruption Unit (PAC) dated July 27, 2018. BIANCO’s Toamasina office is handling the case. According to this document, PAC granted BIANCO a three-month period to gather evidence. A complete report was expected to be transferred to PAC’s prosecutor’s office by October 19, 2018, but due to the case’s complexity and sensitive nature, BIANCO requested an extension to finalize the file. Investigations into this second case have been ongoing for four months, but no arrest warrants have been issued. “We are proceeding cautiously, slowly but surely,” declared BIANCO’s Director General, Jean Louis Andriamifidy.
Leaks
A source working at BIANCO, who preferred to remain anonymous due to lack of prior authorization from superiors, complained about leaks hampering the smooth progress of the investigation. Among these is the publication on social media of a copy of the Ministry of Interior and Decentralization’s decision regarding Mbola Rajaonah’s travel ban, despite this document being confidential.
“I cannot confirm anything, but Mbola Rajaonah is a very influential and powerful person. It is likely he has a strong and supportive network throughout the Malagasy administration. He has money. Take, for example, the search conducted last Thursday (November 22, 2018) at his residence in Ambohimahintsy. Our agents arrived at 5:30 a.m. but were not allowed entry until three hours later, and the owner—the accused—was no longer there. Our conclusion: he was warned the night before and likely took with him documents or any compromising evidence. We do not yet know who might be colluding with him. Moreover, without the owner, the agents cannot work freely,” the source said.
As a reminder, on November 22, 2018, BIANCO carried out simultaneous searches at Mbola Rajaonah’s three residences in Ambohimahintsy, Antsobolo, and Ambanidia, as well as his office in Antsahabe. Two BIANCO agents, assisted by two members of the Joint Operational Headquarters (EMMO/REG) and two representatives of the local community, conducted the searches and evidence gathering. At Ambohimahintsy, the accused’s main residence, investigators recovered a hard drive and documents that could aid their progress. “In economic and financial crimes, these are the first materials to seize. We are working on this and awaiting the results,” BIANCO’s Director General confirmed.
Fake News
The Mbola Rajaonah case has been one of the most significant events in Madagascar over the past three weeks. Speculations and manipulations abound. Mbola Rajaonah owns one of Madagascar’s largest press groups through his company RLM-Communication. His ties to leading political figures make him a target, as rivals of his political supporters seek to exploit his anticipated “fall.”
Meanwhile, a communication war is underway aimed at discrediting BIANCO. Information often contradicts depending on the editorial lines of media outlets. On social media, fake accounts have proliferated, sometimes disturbing investigations and even violating the secrecy of the inquiry. During the search in Ambohimahintsy, BIANCO investigators did not look for a supposed software that some pro-Mbola Rajaonah journalists mentioned: “If we were looking for software, we would have searched the Independent National Electoral Commission,” BIANCO’s Director General asserted.
Political Persecution?
In a statement released by BIANCO on November 23, 2018, the agency clarified that the case has no political dimension, relying in particular on the judicial delegation from the Anti-Corruption Unit. However, Mbola Rajaonah’s defense claims this is political retaliation. This is what his lawyer, Maître Eric Rafidison, stated during his client’s second summons at BIANCO on Monday, November 19, and following the eight-hour search at Ambohimahintsy three days later: “In my opinion, my client is the victim of a political plot aimed at destroying him.”
During an appearance on AZ Radio on Saturday, November 24, Mbola Rajaonah confirmed his lawyer’s statement: “I am the victim of false accusations linked to my political stance. As you know, I make my press outlets available to candidate no. 25, Marc Ravalomanana, purely for personal reasons. As an operator, I seek political and economic stability that will allow me to thrive and work for my country’s development. I hold no grudge against those attacking me now; they are all my friends, even candidate no. 13. But what is unfair is that he has targeted me since I refused to collaborate with him. It is candidate no. 25 who supports my business by funding his propaganda; he invests in my company. At least I deserve respect because politics is just a clash of ideas.” He also called on BIANCO to open investigations into other corruption cases allegedly involving very important personalities to avoid a system of “double standards.”
Since last September, Mbola Rajaonah has distanced himself from former President Hery Rajaonarimampianina. This split is reportedly due to political and ideological differences between the two men. Since then, a platform called “Tafaray” has been established by Rajaonah’s supporters, according to an interview with Berija Ravelomanantsoa, leader of the Association of Malagasy University Leaders (SOLUMA). The SOLUMA association and the “Fitoniana Tour” by Sambahita Aimé François form the pillars of the “Tafaray” platform.
Surprising Alliance Between Candidate No. 25 and the Young Operator Suspected of Corruption
Candidate Marc Ravalomanana is said to be the main beneficiary of Mbola Rajaonah’s support for the second round of the presidential election. However, when questioned on this point, Serge Zafimahova, General Coordinator of Ravalomanana’s campaign, remains cautious about the relationship between the candidate and the economic operator. Responding to questions about collaboration with a “suspect” in corruption cases, he emphasized the need for calm: “We do not need to increase tensions that already exist. Besides, we only work with the leaders of RLM-COMMUNICATION. If you have proof of collaboration between the two men [i.e., Marc Ravalomanana and Mbola Rajaonah], or if you have photos of them shaking hands, please show us,” Mr. Zafimahova stated during the interview.
It is worth noting that with new collaborators and sponsors joining, Marc Ravalomanana’s support committee is optimistic about the second-round results. “We believe we will win by a wide margin. You see the first-round results; we did not have enough money, or rather, we did not invest much, but we obtained a satisfactory result. This time, we have more resources, we are better organized, and we will surely get more votes,” said Serge Zafimahova.
On the evening of November 22, the day of our interview with Serge Zafimahova, a statement was released by Marc Ravalomanana’s support committee announcing its backing of the RLM-Communication press group owned by Mbola Rajaonah.
BIANCO’s investigations continue. According to information gathered at BIANCO’s headquarters in Ambohibao, the inquiries are ongoing. Once completed, the Anti-Corruption Unit will take over judicially, according to a schedule set by the latter. If charges against Mbola Rajaonah are confirmed, the operator may follow in the footsteps of Claudine Razaimamonjy, another former adviser to former President Hery Rajaonarimampianina, who is currently imprisoned.
Photo Source for Cover: new.moov.mg
