Former Niger Premier Faces Embezzlement Charges

The Niger national assembly will meet on Monday in an extraordinary session to mainly discuss the indictment of former Prime Minister Hama Amadou suspected of embezzling 100 million CFA francs (US$240,530) dedicated to the media, an official source told APA on Friday.

In accordance with the Niger Constitution, if two thirds of the members of parliament vote for his indictment, Hama Amadou will be imprisoned.

Meanwhile, the former premier’s case will take its course before the High Court which is the country’s body able to try high-ranking officials being prosecuted for offenses in the exercise of their duties.

Though the media assistance fund has been regularly provided in the state budget since 2000, the Nigerien media never received their money until 2007.

A total of 16 print media and 20 independent radio and television broadcasting stations shared an overall amount of 80 million CFA francs (US$192,424).

A report by the gendarmerie on the 2001-2006 management of the media assistance fund revealed many flaws which led to the arrests of several private media owners for misappropriation.

The gendarmerie questioned several journalists, a majority of them editors and private radio owners as well as the former Premier Hama Amadou.

Appointed Prime Minister in January 2000, Hama Amadou was also the president of the National Movement for the Development of Society (MNSD) which nominated the incumbent head of state, Mamadou Tandja, as candidate for the last presidential poll. Hama Amadou was dismissed from his Premier’s post in May 2007 following a censure motion against his government tabled by the parliamentary opposition.

The document was related to a June 2006 embezzlement case which led the Nigerien parliament to vote the indictment of two former education ministers on 2 October the same year.

These former officials were suspected of embezzling over one billion CFA francs while managing the funds earmarked for the ten-year Education Development Programme (PDDE).

Source African Press Agency

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