Logo

10 Facts About Tantely Andrianarivo

1.

Rene Tantely Gabrio Andrianarivo was a Malagasy politician who was Prime Minister of Madagascar from 23 July 1998 to 31 May 2002, under President Didier Ratsiraka.

2.

Tantely Andrianarivo's trial began on 22 December 2003, and on 24 December, he was convicted of embezzlement and usurping powers and was sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

3.

Tantely Andrianarivo was fined 42 billion Malagasy francs, about $7.6 million US dollars: about $7.4 million to repay the allegedly embezzled money, and another $200,000 in damages.

4.

The prosecution argued that Tantely Andrianarivo was not legitimately the Prime Minister when he withdrew the money, and that he therefore did so illegally.

5.

Tantely Andrianarivo argued that, despite Ravalomanana's nomination of Sylla as Prime Minister, he remained legally Prime Minister until he was detained on 27 May 2002, due to the absence of a decree abrogating his nomination up to that point; he said that it had been necessary to withdraw the money for the payment of wages and other administrative purposes.

6.

Tantely Andrianarivo's health was said to be poor at the time.

7.

In Ravalomanana's 2003 end of the year speech, he revealed that Tantely Andrianarivo was allowed to seek medical treatment abroad.

8.

Tantely Andrianarivo was required to pay for the cost of the investigation, which began in late 2003.

9.

In France, Tantely Andrianarivo met with former President Albert Zafy on 11 June 2007; Zafy had met with Ratsiraka and former Deputy Prime Minister Pierrot Rajaonarivelo in the previous days.

10.

Tantely Andrianarivo died in Paris on 31 August 2023, at the age of 69.