22 Arrested in Madagascar Boeing 777 Iran Case
Authorities in Madagascar have placed 22 people, including senior civil aviation officials and company executives, in pre-trial detention over the scandal involving five Boeing 777-200ERs that were temporarily registered in the country before being flown to Iran.
The charges, announced after an August 23 hearing, include corruption, forgery, money laundering, conspiracy, abuse of power, and endangering state security. The country’s anti-corruption watchdog (DCN) and the Antananarivo anti-corruption unit (PAC) confirmed the arrests, while nine more suspects remain at large.
Those detained include executives from Madagascar’s civil aviation authority (ACM) and Indian nationals linked to Udaan Aviation, named as an intermediary in the transfers. In total, 33 individuals and entities are implicated.
The five aircraft were provisionally registered in Madagascar and departed from Siem Reap New Angkor International Airport in Cambodia on July 15, flying to Iran for eventual delivery to Mahan Air, in a move seen as an attempt to bypass international sanctions.
The scandal has embarrassed Madagascar’s government, which acknowledged that fraudulent documents were used to extend the jets’ registrations. Former Transport Minister Valéry Ramonjavelo, fired on July 29, is also under investigation, but prosecution requires parliamentary approval since his case falls under the High Court of Justice.
The anti-corruption unit said its probe included witness interviews, document reviews, and cooperation with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors stressed that President Andry Rajoelina and his family are not implicated.
The aircraft involved carried temporary Malagasy registrations 5R-RIS, 5R-ISA, 5R-HER, 5R-IJA, and 5R-RIJ.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com