Brutally arrested on the evening of Friday, November 9 in a hotel in Bamako, Terence Holohan, the CEO of the Australian company Resolute which owns a gold mine in Mali, was placed in police custody at the economic center brigade, in the company of two of his expatriate colleagues. At the heart of the matter: a financial dispute with the Malian authorities.
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With our regional correspondent, Serge Daniel
The CEO and two executives of the Australian gold company Resolute, owner of the Syama gold mine in the south-west of Maliwere arrested while in Bamako to discuss ongoing disputes with the authorities, the company confirmed on Sunday, November 10.
Terence Holohan and his group are accused of “alleged forgery and damage to public property”. “ This is a big money deal, entrusted for his part to RFI a source close to the investigation. Resolute owes a lot of money to the Malian state and its business practices are anything but orthodox ”, she further specifies.
The inflexible Malian junta
Although they do not hesitate to defend themselves before investigators, Terence Holohan and the two collaborators with whom he was placed in police custody do not, for the moment, wish to get angry with the Malian authorities. According to an official document consulted by RFI, the Australian company would be ready to make an effort to pay part of the colossal sum demanded from it by the Malian authorities. “ Resolute is working to reach an agreement with the Malian government that guarantees the long-term future of the Syama gold mine. At the same time, its top priority remains the safety and well-being of its employees. », Affirms the company which also specifies that its executives benefit from the support of the embassies and consulates of the United Kingdom and other countries present in Mali.
The fact remains that if no consensus is found between the two parties, the three senior officials of Resolute risk being indicted, especially since the ruling junta remains inflexible for the moment. Resolute currently holds 80% of the shares in the company that owns the Syama gold mine. The remaining 20% is in the hands of the Malian state.
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