Mali lost more than 152 billion CFA francs ($261 million) to fraud and mismanagement in the two years before ex-president Amadou Toumani Toure was toppled in a 2012 army coup, according to audits released by the authorities that replaced him.
Soldiers in the West African nation ousted Toure on March 22, 2012, angry at his handling of a separatist rebellion by Tuareg fighters in the north.
The auditor-general’s reports for 2010 and 2011 said forged documents were used to justify spending, regulations were disregarded, unjustified expense claims were filed and public procurement was marred by irregularities.
The reports were submitted on Monday to President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who will now decide whether to pursue legal action against those believed to have been involved.
Source: Reuters
