Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga, Mali‘s former prime minister who was on trial for corruption, has died at the age of 67.
Maiga died on Monday at a hospital in Bamako, the capital, according to a statement released by his family.
His relatives had earlier stated that he was being held in appalling conditions. In December, he was admitted to the hospital. Reports say the military junta had ignored his pleas for medical evacuation.
The administration stated he died after a “long illness” and expressed condolences to his family in a statement.
Maiga was imprisoned in August of last year on suspicion of corruption in the acquisition of a presidential plane during the administration of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keta.
The allegations date back to 2014 when he was the Minister of Defence. In 2011, Maiga was also the foreign minister under President Amadou Toumani Touré.
Following the outcry over the killing of 160 Fulani villagers in April 2019 in Ogossagou, Mopti area, by alleged Dogon hunters, he resigned as Prime Minister.
