New twist in the Houcine Arfa case after a recording of a conversation between him and the director of Tsiafahy prison was broadcast on social networks. Recording which moreover has not yet been authenticated to date. Seven people are now worried or even suspected of having helped Houcine Arfa escape from this prison. Prison officers, judges, but also doctors, nurses and taxi drivers would make up the list according to information from the Ministry of Justice, which held a press conference yesterday.
Also yesterday, the investigating judge Haingo Ramiandrisoa, in charge of the Houcine Arfa case, was placed under a warrant and transferred to the Ambatolampy prosecutor's office. The latter was reportedly arrested on Thursday evening. The Syndicate of Magistrates of Madagascar (SMM) once again intervened, pointing out that the arrest of this investigating judge disregards the law and his status as a magistrate and is therefore completely illegal. First of all because an arrest can only be made in broad daylight and then because the arrest of a magistrate should first go through several stages with the key being a letter from the Attorney General of the Court of Appeal authorizing his arrest. No procedure would have been followed according to the SMM.
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Representatives of the SMM then traveled to Ambatolampy to inquire about the case and the Court of First Instance (TPI) of Ambatolampy granted provisional release to Judge Ramiandrisoa. The secretary general of the penitentiary union, Cesar Diderot, is said to have been placed under a warrant of committal at Arivonimamo prison.
After a certain silence in this case, arrests and dismissals are multiplying all of a sudden. Investigations would be underway concerning all those who would have allowed this incredible escape of Houcine Arfa. The latter, far from the country, has just filed a complaint with the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Paris against senior Malagasy officials, including the Minister of Justice. This now famous escapee, Houcine Arfa was sentenced to three years in prison by the Malagasy justice for extortion and usurpation of office. He is also being prosecuted for attempted kidnapping, possession of arms and ammunition and criminal association. The legal imbroglio in this case is still far from over.
