18 Arrested in Burkina Faso for Fertilizer Embezzlement

OUAGADOUGOU — Burkina Faso’s judicial police have apprehended 18 individuals, including 10 Ministry of Agriculture agents and 8 traders, for their involvement in the embezzlement of state-subsidized fertilizers in the Eastern region. This action follows an investigation spurred by several denunciations regarding the misappropriation of fertilizers meant for local producers.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the regional head of the Eastern judicial police, during a press briefing, the operation led to the seizure of 723 bags of fertilizer, valued at over 21 million FCFA. The arrest came after denunciations of state-subsidized fertilizer being sold in the large market of Fada N’Gourma. The police outlined the embezzlers’ modus operandi, which involved collecting identity cards from individuals to pose as producers eligible for the fertilizer, which was then sold at inflated prices on the market.

The arrests were facilitated by a control system implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, as highlighted by Prosper Zemba, the general director of plant production. This system, including a toll-free number, played a pivotal role in gathering information that was subsequently provided to judicial authorities in Fada. The government’s aggressive push towards agro-pastoral development aims at achieving food self-sufficiency and enhancing resilience against terrorist threats.