After nine months of pretrial detention, Maodo Malick Mbaye, former director general of the National Agency for the House of Tools (ANAMO), has still not been questioned on the substance of his case. Placed under a detention order on July 22, 2025, he faces serious charges: embezzlement of public funds amounting to more than 619 million CFA francs, fraud, criminal conspiracy, forgery, and money laundering.

Faced with this situation, as revealed by L'Observateur in its Wednesday edition, his lawyers announced the imminent referral of the case to the judge of the second investigating chamber of the Financial Judicial Pool (PJF). Quoted by the newspaper, the defense team, composed of lawyers Baboucar Cissé, Alassane Cissé, El Hadji Omar Youm, and Ndiaga Dabo, denounced the "unbalanced" handling of the case and the slowness of the proceedings.

"His case has since been in the hands of the investigating judge, who must schedule his hearing, and we are doing everything we can to make sure he does so," one of his lawyers told the newspaper of the Groupe futurs médias (Gfm).

According to the same source, the case is all the more controversial because it rests on a disputed private report. The accusation is based on a complaint filed by his successor, supported by an audit conducted by a private firm after the APR leader's resignation in June 2024.

His supporters denounce the absence of any report from official institutions such as the IGE (General Inspectorate of State) or the Court of Auditors. They also emphasize that "the sacrosanct principle of due process in any audit was not respected," as the former CEO was never given the opportunity to respond to the grievances raised.

Beyond the legal aspects, as the Gfm headline points out, the health issue is causing serious concern. Several medical assessments have concluded that his condition is "incompatible with the prison environment." Suffering from neuropathy, osteonecrosis of the femoral heads, and a prostatic adenoma, his condition is considered worrying.

As early as August 2025, the chief medical officer of the prison administration warned that "no prison facility was able to provide him with care," particularly due to the severity of his sleep apnea. This assessment was shared by the Special Ward, which mentioned "real difficulties" in providing care.

This situation is part of a legal battle. Although a provisional release order under judicial supervision was issued on December 31, 2025, the prosecution's appeal led the Indictment Chamber to overturn it.

Maodo Malick Mbaye, who continues to proclaim his innocence, therefore remains incarcerated pending further proceedings.