A former prime minister of Mali is remanded in custody on corruption allegations

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BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A former prime minister of Mali was remanded in custody on Tuesday following allegations of corruption that he has denied, his lawyer told The Associated Press.

Choguel Maïga, 67, led the civilian wing of the country's military junta until his November 2024 dismissal, days after he criticized it for postponing elections. He has continued to publicly criticize it.

His lawyer, Cheick Oumar Konaré, said the Supreme Court had notified the former prime minister of the charges filed against him by Mali's prosecutor general and ordered that he be placed in custody.

The charges follow a report by the West African nation's auditor general on the management of public funds while Maïga was prime minister.

No trial date has been set.

Earlier this month, another former prime minister, Moussa Mara, was imprisoned after tweeting his support for jailed critics of the junta, which has ruled since coups in 2020 and the following year.

In June, Gen. Assimi Goita was granted an additional five years in power despite the junta’s earlier promises of a return to civilian rule by March 2024. The junta dissolved political parties in May.