Ex-Madagascar prime minister sentenced ( 2003-12-25 11:30) (Agencies)
Madagascar's former prime
minister was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years of hard labor and ordered to pay
$7.6 million in damages for his role in last year's election crisis that led to
the formation of two governments.
Tantely Andrianarivo was convicted of wrongfully withdrawing more than $7.4
million from state coffers, which he will have to repay. He also was ordered to
another $200,000 in damages.
Andrianarivo also was convicted of usurping government functions and other
charges related to the power struggle between former President Didier Ratsiraka
and his successor, Marc Ravalomanana. Andrianarivo was loyal to Ratsiraka.
Defense lawyers said Andrianarivo used the money to pay state salaries, but
prosecutors argued he no longer was prime minister at the time and did not have
the authority to make the payments.
Andrianarivo's attorneys condemned the severity of the penalties and said
they would appeal to the Supreme Court.
Andrianarivo, who has been detained for more than a year, appeared frail and
had difficulty standing during the trial.
On Dec. 5, he was admitted to a military hospital suffering from a "general
deterioration" in health and physical exhaustion, apparently due to poor prison
conditions, said the London-based human rights group Amnesty International.
Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana both claimed the presidency after a disputed
December 2001 election in this island nation off eastern Africa.
After low-level fighting split the country between two governments, two
capitals and two presidents, Ratsiraka fled to France in June 2002.
Ratsiraka was sentenced in absentia to 10 years of hard labor for wrongfully
withdrawing money from the country's central bank and to an additional five
years in prison for attempting to get five of the country's six provinces to
secede. There have been no efforts to seek his extradition.
Since Ravalomanana came to power, several hundred people have been arrested
for their roles in the crisis.
But while human rights activists says abuses were committed on both sides,
Amnesty International has expressed concern that legal proceedings are only
being brought against those who sided with Ratsiraka.
