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Published on 2024-03-06 20:28:24
Burkina: Police Arrests 18 People for Diverting State-Subsidized Fertilizers in the East Region
Following reports of wrongdoing, the judicial police have arrested 18 individuals, including 10 officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and 8 merchants, in a case involving the diversion of fertilizers meant for producers in the East region.
During a press briefing, the head of the regional judicial police in the East, Zakaria Traoré, explained that 723 sacks worth over 21 million CFA francs were seized after an investigation and reports of the sale of state-subsidized fertilizers at the main market in Fada N’Gourma.
According to the police officer, the modus operandi of the diverters involves collecting identification cards from individuals that are then used as those of farmers seeking fertilizers. Other actors and accomplices then facilitate the extraction of agricultural inputs and sell them at a higher price in the market.
This arrest was made possible thanks to the monitoring system set up by the Ministry of Agriculture, as highlighted by the Director General of Plant Production, Prosper Zemba.
“After our assessment, we implemented a monitoring system, including a hotline, which helped gather information that we provided to the judicial authorities in Fada,” he said. The Burkinabe government is committed to an agro-pastoral offensive to achieve food self-sufficiency as quickly as possible and strengthen the resilience of the population against terrorist attacks.
Burkina Information Agency
Read the original article(French) on Agence d’Information du Burkina
