Allegations of widespread corruption are being brought forward by Korag, a body established last year in Burkina Faso. This institution is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the nation’s strategic vision during its current transitional period. In a comprehensive statement, Korag has revisited a four-year-old case involving customs officials accused of extorting money from road transporters seeking passage for their vehicles.
According to the newly formed authority, investigators have gathered undeniable physical evidence of this illicit activity. This includes significant cash sums discovered in the suspects’ offices and residences, along with witness testimonies and video footage capturing them in the act.
Despite the compelling evidence, the accused individuals were granted a dismissal, a decision strongly condemned by the transitional government. The junta now accuses a lawyer and ten senior magistrates from the Ouagadougou Court of Appeal of accepting bribes to secure the release of the customs officers and to disclose the identities of key prosecution witnesses.
Korag has labeled this outcome a “judicial charade” and a “severe breakdown in the justice system and witness protection protocols.” These factors, it argues, fully justify the arrests of the magistrates that occurred last month. The military leadership has pledged to uphold “disciplinary measures against unscrupulous members of the judiciary, with the possibility of further legal prosecution.”
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