Burkina Faso: Press release from the Military Prosecutor’s Office in the case of conspiracy against State security against Lieutenant-Colonel ZOUNGRANA.

During the month of December 2022, the Military Prosecutor’s Office was seized, on the one hand, of facts relating to a plot against State security following the denunciation of a member of the group and, on the other hand, by the Military Command of allegations relating to the misappropriation of public funds destined for the Volunteers for the Defence of the Homeland (VDP), following the publication of the fortnightly newspaper “l’Évènement”, in its issue of 10 December 2022 under No. 483 of an article entitled, “Fight against terrorism”:

• Suspicions of embezzlement of money from the Volunteers for the Defence of the Fatherland (VDP),
• a captain pocketed four hundred million (400,000,000) CFA francs.

Two detailed investigations were opened as a result.

I. ALLEGATIONS OF CONSPIRACY AGAINST STATE SECURITY

The first elements of the investigation reveal that the military in collusion with civilians were preparing to destabilise the institutions of the State.

Chief Warrant Officer NEBOA Charles and Sergeant TRAORE Adama are cited as being part of the group according to the informant. This group is said to be in contact with the “Green Mamba” unit of Lieutenant-Colonel ZOUNGRANA Emmanuel, and was planning to launch simultaneous attacks on the Burkina Radio and Television Broadcasting (RTB), the Armed Forces House of Arrest and Correction (MACA), where this senior officer was being held in preventive custody for other similar acts, and the residence of the Head of State.

According to the same source, reinforcements were expected from other units.

The investigation has so far resulted in the hearing and confrontation of several witnesses and suspects. Two of the suspects are on the run…

From the statements collected, it is clear that their undertaking was planned through physical interaction during visits or by telephone with Lieutenant-Colonel ZOUNGRANA Emmanuel from the MACA, where he is detained.

For some members of this group, Lieutenant-Colonel ZOUNGRANA Emmanuel would be the right man for the situation after the events of 30 September 2022, and their action was to bring him to the head of the State. For others, it was to free him from the MACA.

It should be noted that on 9 November 2022, during routine searches in the cells of detainees at MACA, a mobile phone was found in the possession of Lieutenant-Colonel ZOUNGRANA Emmanuel. Called upon to explain this violation of prison regulations and to hand over the unlocking code of the device, he categorically refused.

In order to establish the truth, Lieutenant-Colonel ZOUNGRANA was arrested on 27 December 2022, at his home in Pabré, not without resistance and propaganda on the web, even though he was provisionally released in the first case.

II. ALLEGATIONS OF MISAPPROPRIATION OF PUBLIC FUNDS INTENDED FOR THE VDP

The first acts consisted of the hearing of the Director of Publication of the fortnightly magazine “L’Évènement”, the journalist OULON Atina Serge, and the military authorities in charge of managing the VDP.

In his hearing, the director of publication refrained from giving more details than those already contained in the newspaper, arguing that he did not want to say more, contrary to the assurance of cooperation that he and the General Administrator of the newspaper had given to Salif KABORE during a broadcast on 16 December 2022. Other hearings are underway, without exception, in compliance with the relevant rules and with firmness.

In any case, the military prosecutor’s office reassures us that appropriate follow-up will be given to these investigations, which are being conducted in accordance with the principles of the proper administration of justice, notably respect for the rights of the defence and the presumption of innocence.

Miss OLY