PROSECUTORS in Mali have appealed a judge’s order to release four Barrick Mining employees on bail, keeping the detained staff in jail amid an escalating dispute over the company’s largest African gold mine, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
The Barrick employees, including a regional manager detained since November, will remain imprisoned pending the Court of Appeal’s review of the prosecution’s case, said the newswire, citing people familiar with the matter.
The judge had set bail at 50bn CFA francs ($90.3m), one person said.
Mali detained the four Barrick staff in late November on allegations of money laundering and terrorism financing, including tax-related offences, as tensions over the mining operations intensified. Barrick has denied all allegations against its employees.
The dispute stems from disagreements over alleged back taxes and compliance with Mali’s new mining law, which increases royalties and the state’s stake in joint ventures.
In June, Mali seized Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold complex and appointed a provisional administrator for six months after blocking the company’s gold exports for months.
Last week, military leader Assimi Goïta named Hilaire Diarra as presidential adviser. Diarra was previously general manager of Barrick’s Tongon gold mine in Ivory Coast until his appointment, said Bloomberg News.
The standoff has persisted since 2023, contrasting with other gold miners including Allied Gold Corp and B2Gold Corp, which have successfully concluded agreements with the cash-strapped junta.
Mali’s state prosecutor and a Barrick spokesperson declined to comment on the appeal.
The case highlights growing tensions between international mining companies and West African governments seeking greater control over natural resources amid regional political instability.
