The fine coal case between the Burkinabè State and the company IAMGOLD Essakane SA resumed its course this Monday, October 9, 2023, at the Ouaga 1 High Court. For this day, the debates mainly focused on the two canteens. They were opened and their content was presented to all parties. Unlike the long-awaited “gold bars”, blocks of compacted earth were found there. After the observations of the various parties on these substances, the civil party made a request to the court relating to precautionary measures for seizure of the property of IAMGOLD Essakane SA and Bolloré Transport and Logistics.
When the hearing resumed, the court ensured the availability of canteen keys. Then, she asked that personal protective equipment be made available to people who must handle the contents of the canteens. After these precautions, the experts, assisted by the bailiff and the supervising judge, proceeded to open the 2 canteens.
Canteen No. 3 was opened first. “We notice solid bodies inside the canteen which are packaged either in plastic bags or in bags called Bôrô,” said the bailiff. The president then asked the bailiff to present a sample of the bags to the audience, describing its contents by touch. The bailiff complied. The court asked the different parties and a volunteer in the room to take part in the exercise. It appears from their description that the bag contains “solid bodies in the form of stones”. To the question from the president of the court on the nature of these solid bodies, the metallurgist from Essakane replied: “They are solid bodies. These are refractory bricks that are used to contain the heat in the oven during the processing of fine coal. he indicated. The court then asked the experts to remove the contents in the sachet. So far, no “gold bars” seen.
After that, the experts went to canteen No. 4. According to the usher, in this canteen, there are two bags commonly called “bôrô”. The president of the court asked the different parties to undertake the same exercise as during the opening of canteen No. 3. He then asked the experts to present samples of substances contained in this canteen. According to them, certain samples of substances called « slags » which were found there contain grains of gold visible to the naked eye. The defense made observations emphasizing that these “slags” are mining residues and not gold ingots as claimed by the prosecution. After the intervention of the various parties, the court ordered to close the canteens and seal them again.
The state lawyer asked the court for a precautionary measure to seize the assets of Essakane and Bolloré. According to him, in view of the offenses committed, the State’s expectations are estimated at more than 200 billion FCFA. Listening to him, he is worried about finding himself at the end of the trial with a company that would not be able to honor the financial rights of the civil party (in the event of a conviction).
The president of the court suspended the hearing to examine the three requests from the different parties, namely the request from the defense lawyers relating to the continuation of the expertise of “solid bodies” and the search for another supervising judge for this purpose. effect. For the State’s lawyer, this is a precautionary measure. He has arranged to meet on Wednesday October 11, 2023 at 9 a.m. to deliberate (render his decision on these 3 requests).
Issouf Tapsoba and Nabintou Ouattara (intern)
Tribunedufaso.net