Ex-mayor accused of embezzlement

The World Bank in Madagascar on Wednesday said it would not conduct a "special" investigation into recent allegations that the former mayor of Tamatave had embezzled almost US $5 million of aid money. Roland Ratsiraka, the ex-mayor of the country's largest port city and nephew of ousted president Didier Ratsiraka was arrested last Tuesday on charges of inciting ethnic violence and embezzlement of foreign aid. "The World Bank conducts regular technical and financial audits of all its projects throughout the country. It is always possible that development funds may be misused however our records have not shown any glaring irregularities," the Bank's technical advisor, Susan Holste, told IRIN Holste added that the Bank would only act on "concrete evidence that the ex-mayor had misappropriated aid money". "Until then we have no reason to suspect any wrong doing. Moreover the amount supposedly embezzled is completely off the mark. If Ratsiraka had misused funds, it would have been much smaller than what he has been accused of," Holste said. The arrest had surprised some political observers who told IRIN that Ratsiraka had been one of the first provincial mayors to have openly supported Marc Ravalomanana's presidency. "At the time of the installation of the Emile Tsizaraina [a Ravalomanana appointee] as the new mayor in Tamatave, Roland Ratsiraka was the first to recognise the regime in place," a political analyst at the University of Madagascar, Desire Ramakavelo, told IRIN. "But despite his [Roland Ratsiraka's] apparent support for Ravalomanana towards the end of the crisis, he remained belligerent. Along with the provincial governors [during the seven months' of political confrontation] he refused to dismantle the barricades around the capital," Ramakavelo said. Ravalomanana has repeatedly denied allegations that a witch-hunt was going on to track down supporters of the old regime. However, since he assumed power in July, the island's former prime minister and several high profile officials loyal to the previous regime have been arrested. Last month, military police captured a former colonel regarded as the last of Ratsiraka's allies still at large. Colonel Coutiti had been accused of leading gangs of soldiers and militiamen who beat up and tortured Ravalomanana supporters. "Despite the facade of serenity and calmness in the country, the government remains vigilant about possible threats to internal security. Also, the arrest of Ratsiraka is a sign to the Malagasy people that justice prevails. The Malagasy people for some time now have lost all confidence in the country's judicial system," Ramakavelo said. The Indian Ocean island was embroiled in an eight-month power struggle between long-standing ruler Ratsiraka and Ravalomanana, a self-made millionaire. Ratsiraka refused to accept his election defeat and the crisis degenerated into military clashes, only brought to an end when Ratsiraka fled to France.