Madagascar Escalates Global Manhunt for Fugitive Tycoon in Explosive Boeing Sanctions Scandal
Antananarivo, Madagascar – In a dramatic escalation of its crackdown on high-level corruption, Madagascar's transitional government has formally requested an Interpol red notice for Maminiaina Ravatomanga, the billionaire businessman and once-untouchable ally of ousted President Andry Rajoelina. The move targets Ravatomanga's alleged role in a brazen scheme to smuggle five Boeing 777 aircraft to sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air, bypassing international restrictions and exposing deep ties between Malagasy elites and illicit global networks.
The request, detailed in a justice ministry letter dated October 20, paints Ravatomanga as the linchpin of a sophisticated operation involving forged documents, money laundering, and forgery. At 56 years old, Ravatomanga commands a sprawling empire through his Sodiat Group, dominating sectors like construction, transport, media, and even agriculture. Forbes once ranked him as Madagascar's second-richest individual, behind only Ylias Akbaraly, with assets that include luxurious estates like the fortified Villa Pradon in Antanimena. His influence extended far beyond boardrooms: as Rajoelina's chief financier and confidant, he wielded shadow power during the former president's turbulent tenure, securing lucrative state contracts amid whispers of cronyism.
The Boeing Scheme: A Web of Forgery and Sanctions Evasion
The scandal traces back to July 2025, when five Boeing 777-200ER wide-body jets – previously operated by Singapore Airlines and NokScoot – mysteriously vanished from global aviation radars. These aircraft, stored in Australia and later relocated to Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport in China between December 2023 and March 2024, were meant for a routine ferry flight. Instead, they embarked on a covert odyssey: transiting through Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Indonesia from May to July, then touching down in Siem Reap, Cambodia, before landing in Tehran on July 15.
Key to their illicit journey were provisional registration certificates (CIP) and airworthiness documents issued by Madagascar's Civil Aviation Authority (ACM) under the 5R prefix – registrations like 5R-RIJ, 5R-RIS, 5R-ISA, 5R-IJA, and 5R-HER. These were granted to a shadowy startup called UDAAN Aviation, incorporated in Antananarivo in June 2023 as a limited liability company. Officially, the papers allowed transport to a maintenance facility in Kenya, with an expiration date of April 17, 2025. But investigators allege the documents were fraudulently extended to July 12, enabling the jets to fly legally enough to evade immediate detection.
The endgame? Delivery to Mahan Air, an Iranian carrier blacklisted by the U.S. Treasury since 2011 for its links to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Mahan, already notorious for sanctions-busting tactics like smuggling Airbus A340s, now boasts these U.S.-built behemoths in its fleet. The Rolls-Royce Trent 884-17 engines powering the 777s align with Mahan's existing maintenance setup for Iran Air's Airbus A330s, allowing seamless integration despite Tehran's isolation from Western suppliers.
Madagascar's ACM has vehemently denied complicity, insisting the planes never touched Malagasy soil and that the certificates were forged without oversight. Yet, the fallout was swift: Transport Minister Valéry Ramonjavelo resigned on July 31 after approving the registrations without higher consultation. By late August, the Anti-Corruption Court (PAC) in Antananarivo indicted 22 individuals and entities on charges including corruption, abuse of office, forgery, criminal association, and threats to national security. Among those in preventive detention is ACM Director General Gervais Damasy. A total of 33 suspects remain under probe, with the government enlisting the FBI for interrogations that yielded explosive leads pointing straight to Ravatomanga.
Ravatomanga's Fall: From Power Broker to International Fugitive
Ravatomanga's name surfaced repeatedly in suspect testimonies, branding him the architect of the network. Born November 8, 1968, in Morondava, he rose from modest roots to billionaire status after the 2009 coup that first propelled Rajoelina – then a DJ-turned-mayor – to power. Ravatomanga's Sodiat Group thrived under Rajoelina's regimes (2009-2014 provisional, then 2019-2025 elected terms), snapping up deals in rosewood exports, lychee trade, and public procurement. Scandals dogged him: a 2023 rosewood trafficking probe led to a minister's jailing for slander after testifying against him; whistleblowers in the lychee sector reported arrests and intimidation; and French courts probed his finances until clearing him in July 2023.
His global reach added intrigue. Named honorary consul of Côte d'Ivoire in Antananarivo in July 2023, he cultivated ties with French President Emmanuel Macron and even met Wagner Group's Evgeny Prigozhin days before the mercenary leader's 2023 death, discussing Rajoelina's security. But as protests swelled in 2025 – dubbed "Gen-Z" uprisings demanding Rajoelina's ouster, Senate dissolution, and Ravatomanga's prosecution – cracks appeared. On October 6, Ravatomanga aired a defiant two-hour broadcast from his Madagascar Security Academy, distancing himself from the sinking regime.
Two days before the October 14 military coup, he fled to Mauritius with Rajoelina's inner circle, including ex-Prime Minister Christian Ntsay. Mauritius wasted no time: on October 16, authorities froze his assets and issued a local arrest warrant for money laundering tied to suspicious transfers and shell companies. Ravatomanga's whereabouts are unknown, but the Interpol red notice – if approved – would alert 194 member countries to detain him for extradition, marking a humiliating reversal for the man once seen as "vice-king" of Madagascar.
Political Upheaval: A Coup, a Pledge for Reform, and Lingering Shadows
The red notice lands amid Madagascar's latest political earthquake. Weeks of deadly protests – sparked by economic woes, repression, and graft allegations – culminated in the October 14 coup by the CAPSAT army unit, once Rajoelina's 2009 ally. Commander Michael Randrianirina, who led the takeover, was sworn in as interim president, appointing a civilian prime minister and vowing collaboration with national forces. His agenda: draft a new constitution, reform electoral laws, and hold polls within 18-24 months. "We will work hand in hand with all the driving forces of the nation," he declared at his inauguration.
Rajoelina, 51, fled in "fear for his life," addressing the nation from hiding to decry the "null and void" impeachment by parliament. Born into wealth in Antsirabe, the sharp-suited entrepreneur parlayed his media savvy into power, but his rule – marred by dual French nationality disputes, AGOA trade bans, and cronyism – eroded support. The Boeing affair amplified calls for accountability, with opposition lawmakers explicitly targeting Ravatomanga as a symbol of elite impunity.
The scandal's international ripple could strain Madagascar's ties with the West. U.S. officials, already aiding probes, may impose further penalties on enablers, while Iran's Mahan Air gains a propaganda win. For Ravatomanga, once Forbes-listed among Madagascar's top millionaires, the red notice signals the end of an era. As Randrianirina's regime navigates transition, the tycoon's fate underscores a harsh truth: in the Indian Ocean island's volatile politics, even billionaires are not above the law.