The chief of staff to the president of Madagascar has been charged with bribery over an alleged attempt to secure bribes worth about £225,000 from the British owner of the luxury gemstone company Fabergé.
Romy Andrianarisoa, the chief of staff to Andry Rajoelina, and an associate are accused of offering Gemfields, the London-listed mining company that owns Fabergé, mining licences in Madagascar in return for 250,000 Swiss francs (£225,000) and a 5% equity stake in any Gemfields projects in the country, according to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
The NCA said Andrianarisoa, 46, and a French national, Philippe Tabuteau, 54, were arrested in Victoria, London, on Thursday afternoon “at a meeting where they are suspected of having attempted to solicit a bribe”. Gemfields’ head office is in Victoria.
They appeared in court on Saturday and have been remanded in custody until their next hearing on 8 September at Southwark crown court.
Andy Kelly, the head of the international corruption unit (ICU) at the NCA, said: “This operation demonstrates the ability of the ICU to capitalise on cooperation from industry. I am grateful to Gemfields for bringing this matter to our attention and for their ongoing cooperation with the investigation. Their quick reactions to engage the NCA have been critical to our ability to pursue this case.”
The chief crown prosecutor Joanne Jakymec said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised the NCA to charge Romy Andrianarisoa and Philippe Tabuteau with requesting a bribe. The CPS made the decision to authorise charges after reviewing a file of evidence from the NCA relating to allegations of bribery. Criminal proceedings against Ms Andrianarisoa and Mr Tabuteau are active and they have a right to a fair trial.”
The pair have each been charged with one count of requesting, agreeing to receive or accepting a bribe under the Bribery Act 2010.
A spokesperson for Gemfields declined to comment.
The Madagascar embassy in London did not respond to requests for comment.
Rajoelina, who has twice served as Madagascar’s president, is nicknamed “the disc jockey” for his time promoting parties in the capital, Antananarivo, before he entered politics.
