The president of Madagascar’s former chief of staff has been convicted of bribery offences and faces a prison sentence after she demanded money and shares in exchange for securing a lucrative emerald mining deal for a British company, Gemfields.
Romy Andrianarisoa, 47, was arrested along with a French national, Philippe Tabuteau, 54, in August 2023 after attending a meeting in London set up by an undercover National Crime Agency (NCA) officer.
The following month Tabuteau pleaded guilty to requesting, agreeing to receive, or accepting a bribe, but Andrianarisoa denied the charge but was convicted on Tuesday after a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
After her arrest she was suspended by her boss, Andry Rajoelina, and replaced as chief of staff, and at a hearing last year—where Andrianarisoa was refused bail—the court heard Mr. Rajoelina had “hung her out to dry.”
Her barrister, Graham Blower, told that hearing, “The Madagascar government has ‘washed its hands’ of her and the president has made a statement saying everybody needs to follow the values of the republic and he supports the UK authorities.”
Mr. Blower said his client was not “shielded under a diplomatic umbrella.”
Gemfields specialises in mining rubies and emeralds and Madagascar is known to contain large reserves of emeralds.
Aide Claimed ‘Significant Influence’ With Leadership of Madagascar
The NCA issued a statement saying, “At the time of the 2023 meetings, she was chief of staff to President Rajoelina of Madagascar and made it clear that she had a direct line to, and significant influence with, the country’s leadership.”Tabuteau said he had no formal role in government, but worked “in a private and personal capacity.”
The court heard the pair insisted no conversations should take place on the phone and any meetings had to be held at short notice in Airbnbs around London, which would be booked at short notice.
Eventually the Gemfields executive persuaded the pair to set out the scope of their financial demands.
They demanded two payments, each of 125,000 Swiss francs (£250,000).
They said the first payment would secure a meeting with Mr. Rajoelina and the second would secure a memorandum of understanding, which would enable them to begin the mining operation.
But they also demanded 5 percent of the shares of a joint venture which would be set up between Gemfields and the Madagascar government, which would be worth £4 million.
Andrianarisoa even insisted she could guarantee the success of the mining project even if Mr. Rajoelina was to lose the election or be ousted.
Undercover NCA Officer Recorded Meetings
An undercover NCA officer, known only as Charles, was sent to the next meeting with Andrianarisoa and Tabuteau and it was agreed he would be a “firewall” for the illicit payments, which were to be paid in cash, gold, or gems.Charles covertly recorded every meeting and eventually, on Aug. 10, 2023, NCA officers swooped on a hotel near Victoria station in London as he handed over £10,000 “goodwill payments” to Andrianarisoa and Tabuteau.
Andy Kelly, head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, said, “This investigation demonstrates the ability of the ICU to capitalise on cooperation from industry, and the determination of our officers to bring to justice those who undermine the rule of law.”
“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,” he added.
Thomas Short, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said, “Romy Andrianarisoa is a corrupt official who chose to enrich herself in the course of her public duties.”
Andrianarisoa, who has three young children in Madagascar, will be sentenced next month. She could be jailed for up to 14 years.
