A Malian appeals court on Tuesday rejected Barrick Mining’s bid to free four local employees arrested last November on money‑laundering and other charges, Judge Samba Sarr said, marking the latest flashpoint in the Canadian miner’s standoff with the junta over a tougher 2023 mining code.
Barrick lawyer Alifa Habib Koné called the ruling “unfounded” and said the decision would be challenged before Mali’s Supreme Court. The company insists the allegations are baseless.
The quartet has remained in pre‑trial detention in Bamako since authorities blocked Barrick’s gold exports in mid‑January, seized three tonnes of bullion and halted output at the 80 %‑Barrick‑owned Loulo‑Gounkoto complex.
In December, Mali also issued an arrest warrant for Toronto‑based chief executive Mark Bristow on similar accusations of money‑laundering and financial misconduct.
The military‑led governments of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, all seeking a bigger share of windfall gold revenues, have pressed foreign miners to renegotiate contracts as prices hover near record highs. Mali accounts for roughly 14 % of Barrick’s global production and generated $949 million in revenue in the first nine months of 2024.