Six persons have been arrested over a plot to kill Madagascar’s President, Andry Rajoelina and other top political figures.
Gatekeepers News reports that Attorney General Berthine Razafiarivony had stated that the foiled plot included the “killing and neutralisation” of senior political figures, other than the president, but did not give further details about the alleged plan.
Public Security Minister, Rodellys Fanomezantsoa Randrianarison on Thursday said a French citizen is among six suspects arrested.
“One of the arrested people is French, two of them are bi-national: Malagasy and French. The three others are Malagasy,” Randrianarison said.
Two of the arrested suspects had previously worked in the French military, according to Patrick Rajoelina, an adviser to the president.
Randrianarison, who had previously said police had relevant information “for months”, noted that “there are also official documents which prove their involvement.”
He added that “the foreigner hid his harmful schemes behind his business activity.”
Gatekeepers News reports that Rajoelina was sworn in as Madagascar’s President in 2019 after a hard-fought election beset by charges of fraud and a constitutional court challenge from his main rival and predecessor Marc Ravalomanana.
The 44-year-old Madagascar’s leader first grabbed power in March 2009 from Ravalomanana with the support of the military and remained president of a transitional government until 2014.
