Rajoelina Stripped of Citizenship as $163M Laundering Scandal Explodes
Madagascar’s political crisis escalated this month as former president Andry Rajoelina was stripped of his citizenship after fleeing the country amid youth-led protests and a military coup.
The government announced the decision on Friday, citing his illegal acquisition of French nationality in 2014 — a violation of the national constitution.
Rajoelina’s abrupt departure followed weeks of unrest over power outages, rising living costs, and corruption allegations, plunging the nation into deeper turmoil and uncertainty.
The crisis widened when Maminiaina Ravatomanga, a prominent businessman and former advisor to Rajoelina, was arrested in Mauritius on suspicion of laundering more than $160 million.
Ravatomanga had fled to Port Louis shortly after Rajoelina’s exit and was taken into custody at a private clinic where he had sought medical treatment.
He is currently being held by the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC), which is investigating his role in managing multiple entities suspected of handling illicit funds.
“The FCC has reasonable grounds to believe that … Ravatomanga, while being involved in the management of several entities in Mauritius, was in possession of property suspected to represent the proceeds of criminal activity,” said an FCC spokesperson, who requested anonymity.
Ravatomanga’s lawyer, Siddartha Hawaldar, confirmed his client was under arrest but declined to comment on the allegations.
According to AfricaNews.com, the FCC believes the laundering involved approximately $163 million in assets linked to companies under Ravatomanga’s control.
Rajoelina’s final weeks in office were marked by nationwide demonstrations, with thousands of protesters —many of them young- demanding accountability for deteriorating infrastructure and economic hardship.
The unrest intensified until an elite military unit launched a coup, prompting Rajoelina to flee the country, claiming his life was in danger.
On 17 October, coup leader Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as interim president.
He has pledged to restore stability and hold national elections within two years.
Meanwhile, Rajoelina’s whereabouts remain unknown, and questions continue to swirl over his political future and the full extent of his administration’s alleged financial misconduct.
