Rhodes oil plants case in Toamasina : high profile corruption in the area

On Friday 09th, high provincial officials have been meeting during no less than three hours inside the Eastern Province’s Palace. Part of them were the environment minister, the minister in charge of communication, the Eastern Province’s chief, Toamasina city’s SPD, the national state police’s state secretary, various other state officials, some local business figures, and Toamasina’s general customs’ controller. The meeting focused mainly on the way to stop the smuggling of Rhodes oil plants. Reporters strained to complete their job around the Palace since the meeting was held behind closed doors.

Allegation of forged signatures without complaints about it in court

“This Rhodes oil plants story is a big fat lie” said the Eastern Province’s chief, Alain Mahavimbina, as he walked out of from the meeting room. He subsequently said that signatures would have been forged by exploiters although not a single official lodged a single complaint into court.

Some 65 Million Ariaries are circulating inside the Eastern Province’s department in order to keep eyes shut

The local business class itself denounced that “smuggling of Rhodes oil plants is a free  and safe business when money has its say”. Concerning both of this month’s seizure of Rhodes oil plants, the first one in Ambalamanasy on July 04th , 4 trucks, the second one in Tanambao Nosibe (national road 5), 2 trucks and 118 logs, some 65 million ariaries are used into the Eastern Province’s department would be circulating in order to ease the business. According to various other sources, some 200 million ariaries would still be shared within the Task Force, the Special Intervention Forces, basically in charge of stopping the smuggling, and Toamasina’s court.

Those involved in the Rhodes oil plants network are above the law

The court has had no case to assess so far concerning July 04th and the 06th’s seizure of smuggled Rhodes oil plants although the investigation of the truck drivers has revealed that the cargo belonged to businessmen. Those businessmen are, however, still free to roam around the streets of Toamasina in their luxury cars, literally above the law. The meeting officials had anyway emphasized a certain firmness in this Rhodes oil plants case. Acting in the rule of the art!

The Eastern Province’s chief frequently walking out of from the meeting room

Reporters also noticed that the Eastern Province’s chief, Alain Mahavimbina, frequently walked out of from the meeting room to have quiet talks with the Eastern Province’s Inspector Kalo Narcisse