Houses and apartment blocks on the hillside of Antananarivo, Madagascar's capital. File photo. (Photo: Alexandra Pugachevsky, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

MADAGASCAR · POLITICS

Madagascar’s High Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday 28 October 2026 that the country’s Anti-Corruption Pole, an ordinary criminal court, can prosecute ousted president Andry Rajoelina, former Prime Minister Christian Ntsay and several former ministers. The ruling is about which court has power and is not a judgment on the charges.

For US readers, the case matters because Madagascar supplies much of the world’s vanilla and sits on mineral wealth, and the new leaders say fighting corruption is a priority. Our guide Madagascar Explained shows who rules the island after the 2025 takeover.

What Happened

The Anti-Corruption Pole asked the constitutional court on 6 October 2026 whether it could prosecute former senior officials, or whether those cases had to go to the High Court of Justice. The constitutional court answered on 28 October that corruption for personal gain is not part of exercising a presidential or ministerial mandate.

It therefore held that the ordinary anti-corruption court may handle the cases, and the High Court of Justice keeps its power over acts tied to office. Proceedings that had been suspended while the question was open can now continue.

Who and What Is Covered

The ruling names Andry Rajoelina, the former president, and Christian Ntsay, his former prime minister. It also covers former ministers Rindra Rabarinirinarison (economy and finance), Fidiniavo Ravokatra (mines) and Marie-Michelle Sahondrarimalala (education), as well as former mines ministry secretary-general Herilaza Imbiki.

The files include alleged fictitious contracts and embezzlement in the purchase of school desks and benches, and alleged irregularities in running the Malagasy sovereign fund between 2022 and 2025. A third file concerns 36 kg of gold seized between 2019 and 2020 that later disappeared, a case in which Rajoelina is not named.

Antananarivo city hall, in the Malagasy capital. File photo: Rio Times archive.

The court also dealt with Rajoelina’s status, since a decree in October 2025 ended his Malagasy nationality after he took French citizenship in 2014. It said that decision does not cancel his two terms as president retroactively.

Why It Matters

Madagascar’s new leaders have promised to clean up public money, and we have reported their gold smuggling crackdown and a tax corruption platform. A trial of a former president would be the largest test of that promise.

The court drew the line between acts in office and acts for personal gain itself, since the constitution does not state that distinction in those words. The ruling therefore ends a possible shield for former leaders, although the High Court of Justice keeps its own power.

What It Means for You

Americans who import vanilla, graphite or nickel from Madagascar should not expect an immediate change in supply or rules from this ruling. It does, however, show how the new government treats the officials who ran the state before 2025.

Travelers should check the State Department’s current advisory for Madagascar, because a high-profile case can raise political tension. US companies doing business there should review their dealings with the named ministries and the sovereign fund.

What Is Not Known

No trial date has been set, and the court has not said which charges will be filed. It is also not known where Rajoelina is, or whether he would appear before a court.

The ruling does not decide guilt, and all the accused remain presumed innocent. How the High Court of Justice will use its remaining power over acts in office is also unclear.

More: Africa news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Madagascar Try Andry Rajoelina?

Yes, on the question of which court has power. Madagascar’s constitutional court ruled on 28 October 2026 that the Anti-Corruption Pole may prosecute him, but no charges or trial date are public.

Has Rajoelina Been Convicted?

No. The ruling only settles which court is competent, and Rajoelina and the other named people are presumed innocent.

What Are the Cases About?

They concern school-desk contracts, the management of the sovereign wealth fund from 2022 to 2025, and 36 kg of seized gold that went missing. Rajoelina is not named in the gold case.

Sources: High Constitutional Court of Madagascar (HCC), decision of 28 October 2026 on the competence of the Anti-Corruption Pole, as published by the Malagasy authorities, 28-29 October 2026; Anti-Corruption Pole (PAC) of Madagascar, referral to the HCC of 6 October 2026; Constitution of Madagascar, articles 131, 133 and 134 on the High Court of Justice; decree of October 2025 on the nationality of Andry Rajoelina.

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