Mali appeals judge’s order to release detained Barrick staff
Malian prosecutors have appealed a judge’s order to release four Barrick Mining Corp.’s employees on bail, according to people familiar with the matter.
Barrick staff, including a regional manager detained last year amid rising tensions over the company’s largest gold mine in Africa, will remain in jail pending the Court of Appeal’s review of the prosecution’s case, the people said, asking not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The judge had set the bail to 50-billion CFA francs ($90.3-million), one of the people said.
Mali’s state prosecutor and a Barrick spokesperson didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Mali detained the four Barrick employees in late November on allegations of money laundering and financing of terrorism, including tax-related offenses, as the dispute escalated. Barrick has denied the allegations against its staff.
In June, Mali seized Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex and appointed a provisional administrator for a six-month period, after months of blocking the company’s gold exports.
Last week, the country’s military leader Assimi Goïta named Hilaire Diarra as a presidential adviser, who until his appointment was the general manager of Barrick’s Tongon gold mine in Ivory Coast.
The dispute over alleged back taxes and compliance with a new mining law, which increases royalties to Mali and its stake in joint ventures, has dragged on since 2023. Other gold miners, such as Allied Gold Corp. and B2Gold Corp. have been able to conclude accords with the cash-strapped junta.
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