Africa-Press. A corruption case involving the purchase of school desks in Madagascar has been referred to the judiciary after investigations revealed the disappearance of approximately 1,841 desks from a total of over 18,000 requested by the Ministry of National Education during 2020 and 2021. The estimated losses from the case exceed 800 million Ariary, equivalent to about 160,000 euros.
The anti-corruption unit is investigating the case with nine individuals and three companies involved, five of whom are currently in custody. Investigations are ongoing to uncover the details of the purchases and the execution of the contracts.
The Ministry of National Education had requested over 18,000 desks to distribute to schools between 2020 and 2021. Although official documents seemingly indicate the full delivery of the requested quantity, the investigation has revealed the loss of 1,841 desks, raising suspicions about the execution of the deal and the monitoring mechanisms of the deliveries.
Investigators are also focusing on how the purchasing procedures were organized, as it is suspected that one individual managed various stages of the contract, from signing the agreement to receiving the equipment and processing payments.
This raises concerns about weak internal controls, as these responsibilities should have been distributed among several officials to ensure a separation of duties and conduct mutual audits and reviews to minimize opportunities for misconduct or misuse of public funds.
Mialisoa Randriambianina, director of Transparency International in Madagascar, believes the case should serve as a lesson for authorities to strengthen oversight mechanisms and prevent the recurrence of such violations.
She stated that authorities “should not wait for the next scandal to improve the system,” pointing out that practical measures can be taken, including enhancing the separation of duties and implementing mutual verification mechanisms.
She added that it is unreasonable for one person to handle responsibilities for preparing, auditing, receiving, and paying expenses without independent oversight from other officials.
Alongside the judicial process, another issue arises regarding the fate of the funds suspected of being embezzled or misused, and the authorities’ ability to recover them.
Tsimiheba Andriamasafarivo from the NGO “Tolotswa” argues that issuing judicial rulings against the accused should not be the sole objective in such cases, emphasizing the need to focus on recovering public funds that have been embezzled or used illegally.
He clarified that the case is not just about convicting individuals but should also include genuine efforts to recover the funds, warning that merely convicting the accused may not achieve the purpose if some have left Madagascar.
At this stage of the investigation, a former Minister of National Education is also suspected of involvement in the case, while authorities continue their investigations to determine responsibilities and uncover all details of the deal, as well as the fate of the public funds and the undelivered desks.
