Presidential plane for sale: who wants to spend a lot of millions?

“Authorities are looking for presidential plane’s buyers”. Practically one year after its latest flight, Air Force One 2 is blocked on the ground in Ivato. This plane used to be the center of Andry Rajoelina’s propaganda during his popular movement targeting the elected president. “People’s money is being wasted to buy a personal toy “, he used to argue. Those days’ mayor of Antananarivo city promised to sell the aircraft purchased for 60 millions US dollars, once he would be empowered. In face of the state’s financial difficulties and the suspension of foreign financial support, this transaction’s turnover would be the providential backup of the year.  

In January 2010, Air Force One 2 became a burden for the HAT. The minister in charge of Transportation is far from economic in attacks against the previous leaders to explain the difficulties to find any client. “The transaction has been completed by people who know nothing to planes”, scolded Air Madagascar’s former cadre. In order to fly again, the Republic of Madagascar’s Air Force One 2 will have to pass technical examination proving to be expensive. “There is also the certification issue”, added the minister in charge of Transportation. The aircraft is FAA certified, able to fly in America. Could it ever be used in Europe, it will have to be EASA certified “.  

To part these technical details which could deter possible purchasers, the biggest problem concerns the appropriate selling price. In an impetus of populism on the place of May 13th, Andry Rajoelina promised 60 millions US dollars to buy basic needs products to and for the Malagasy people. But here is the rub: nobody is actually eager to draw so much money for the Boeing turned into a luxury hotel. “According to experts, the aircraft would worth about 38 millions US dollars”, attested minister Ranjatoelina. Being brand new from the factory, it would worth 49 millions US dollars, I am going to leave you the subsequent conclusions”, he said while addressing reporters.  

The mist is still thick around the money used to purchase the presidential plane. Roland Ranjatoelina hinted that the aircraft would actually worth 38 millions US dollars, and that it would match the sum made public by a former regime’s official. The HAT minister especially surprised when confessing that the authorities are, as a matter of fact, not certain whether it was a transaction or a gift. Some time ago, the Treasury secretary, Haja Razafinjatovo, had declared that the half of the sum stemmed from the Republic’s president himself. The European Union swiftly reacted to the mixture of the public and private funds.  

By the beginning of the political crisis, the objectors suspected president Ravalomanana of receiving gifts, or bribes, from Daewoo Corporation against 1.3 million hectares of land made available. Is there corruption when the issue’s center is a presidential plane belonging to the Republic of Madagascar and in no way to the president? Had it been a gift, would Daewoo not oppose the sale of the Boeing 737?   

The HAT has already condemned the ousted president Marc Ravalomanana, for the presidential plane related most likely transaction. In addition to penal sanctions, repairs up to 70 millions US dollars have been ordered by the justice. The former chief of the state has been accused of misusing public money: 100 billions of ariary to buy a state owned plane. The central issue was, actually, not presidential plane in itself, but, rather its luxurious estate.  

The HAT is divided between the continuously spent maintenance money and the perspective to sell the article at a price far below the initial 60 millions US dollars. The lack of international recognition for the dictating authorities is making the matter even worse. The latest providential option would be a prince with no strings attached to democratic principles, eager to get one more Boeing 737 one week or another.  In such case, It would be the first ever concrete capitalization of the Saudi Arabian flow of investment promised by Andry Rajoelina on the place of May 13th.