Rhodes oil plants: the Prime minister Vital campaigning in the Comoros

The HAT government’s leader’s led small incursion in the Comoros islands was a diplomatic probe meant to measure how deep is the water since the Indian Ocean ‘s Commission meeting. Camille Vital was welcomed by the Comorian foreign minister and unofficially received by the president. Still no official recognition allowed just good manners between neighbors. « The comorian president expressed that he does not want the Comoros to become a hub for Rhodes oil plants smugglers « , argued the general Vital.   

The chief of the HAT government dared the travel in response of the Comorian custom officers led seizure of « 15 containers » of Rhodes oil plants, published by the press. For being accused, without being specifically named though, of involvement within the Rhodes oil plants’ illegal trade, as it was made legal for a while by an exceptional authorization, the transitional regime’s « top officials » might have an even more damaged reputation before long. Camille Vital is acting as visibly as possible in front of the international community which previously denounced the depredation of Malagasy forests when it addressed the issue.  

In this communication and diplomacy operation, the Prime minister pushed the performance as far as going down in the boat which transported the concerned cargo. « It is not exactly a 15 containers cargo as announced by the press, since logs have been hidden in the ship « , he explained. 300 tons of Malagasy Rhodes oil plants in all have been seized by the Comorian authorities. The small ship named Soavina 3 could load 500 tons of cargo. The boat’s captain is being investigated by the authorities.  

According to the HAT Prime minister, the seized wood’s repatriation operation will be starting within some days after the completion of administrative processes. The Finance secretary made the travel together with the general Vital. The option of the auction of woods seized is a possibility. The cargo in question could return some 22 billions of ariary for the state. Had the export still been allowed, the invoice including a 72 million ariary penalty by container taxes and various rights would not have returned more than a couple of billions of ariary.  

Navy officers will be sent to the Comoros to secure the cargo’s repatriation. The investigation is meant to be carried on on home soil, since the smuggle operation required the involvement of at least about ten accomplices.  

However, the Vital government’s communication operation’s side effects have swiftly been ruined by the denunciation of a new case. The inhabitants of the farming commune of Mampikony actually denounced the daily and on going depredation of three precious wood forests.  Carts and trucks are transporting Rhodes oil plants and Pallissander on a daily basis on broad daylight, escorted by men in military uniforms, watched by a powerless population.