ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — Madagascar has requested Interpol to issue a red notice for the arrest of businessman Mamy Ravatomanga, a close associate of ousted President Andry Rajoelina, over his alleged role in the illegal transfer of Boeing aircraft to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.
In a letter dated October 20 and seen by AFP, the country’s Justice Ministry said Ravatomanga was named by one of the suspects as part of a network behind the transfer of five Boeing 777s to Iranian airline Mahan Air in July.
The ministry described him as “an individual sought in the case but currently at large,” urging Interpol to help locate and detain him.
Investigators allege the aircraft deal was facilitated using falsified registration documents issued under the name of Madagascar’s Civil Aviation Authority (ACM).
The agency has denied any involvement, claiming the certificates were forged without its knowledge.
According to officials, several suspects detained in Madagascar told investigators—during interrogations conducted with assistance from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)—that Ravatomanga orchestrated the operation.
Ravatomanga, 56, fled to Mauritius on October 12, two days before the military coup that ousted President Rajoelina.
Authorities in Mauritius subsequently froze his assets and issued a local arrest warrant on October 16 on money-laundering charges. His current whereabouts remain unknown.
A powerful figure in Madagascar’s business and political circles, Ravatomanga heads the Sodiat Group, a conglomerate with interests in construction, transport, and media.
Long seen as Rajoelina’s financier and confidant, he has been repeatedly linked to corruption and smuggling scandals, including illicit rosewood exports and irregular public procurement deals.
In 2023, a former minister was jailed for slander after accusing Ravatomanga of involvement in rosewood trafficking, while whistle-blowers who exposed irregularities in the lychee trade reported arrests and intimidation.
The latest allegations come amid political upheaval following the October 14 coup led by Michael Randrianirina, commander of the army’s elite CAPSAT unit.
Randrianirina has since been sworn in as president, pledging to restore civilian rule within 18 to 24 months.
“We will work hand in hand with all the driving forces of the nation to draft a fine constitution and agree on new electoral laws,” Randrianirina said during his inauguration ceremony.
The unfolding scandal is expected to test the credibility of Randrianirina’s transitional government, already grappling with international pressure to restore democratic order after the military takeover.
