No verdict has yet been reached in the case involving the clandestine export of five Boeing 777-200 ER aircraft to Iran.
The trial was scheduled to take place yesterday at the Anti-Corruption Pole (PAC), but lawyers for the Civil Aviation of Madagascar (ACM), the plaintiff, as well as the prosecution, requested a postponement.
According to the PAC, the hearing and the delivery of the judgment are now scheduled for November 5.
The public hearing was supposed to begin yesterday around 10:30 a.m. However, its opening was delayed by the late arrival of one of the defendants held in pre-trial detention at Tsiafahy, Indian national Khushwinder Singh. After the roll call of the thirty-eight defendants, the ACM lawyers immediately requested an adjournment. They cited the incomplete nature of the case file available to the court to initiate proceedings, particularly regarding documents expected from U.S. authorities.
As a reminder, U.S. sanctions prohibit the Iranian state from acquiring Boeing aircraft. The lawyers also argue that the case should be tried as a criminal matter, rather than merely a correctional one, due to the threat posed to the internal security of the State.
Following this request from the ACM lawyers, the defense counsel for the accused asked the judges not to postpone the trial further. They denounced the excessively long pre-trial detention, which they now consider illegal and contrary to the Constitution. Some defendants, including Khushwinder Singh and his collaborators, have been detained for thirteen months.
Invited by the judges to provide an opinion, the prosecution stated that the investigation should continue. According to the prosecution, thirteen other ACM agents are allegedly involved, directly or indirectly, in this case. Their alleged involvement was reportedly uncovered during a supplementary investigation conducted by the Independent Anti-Corruption Bureau (Bianco) in December 2025.
At the request of the prosecution and the ACM lawyers, the court ordered the postponement of the trial. Lawyers for several defendants, including former Minister of Transport and Meteorology Valéry Ramonjavelo and Khushwinder Singh, requested provisional release for their clients. The prosecution opposed these requests, citing the gravity of the charges. The court rejected them. Former Senate President, General Richard Ravalomanana, was among the defendants present at the PAC.
The Director General of the ACM, Alban Rakotoarisoa, was also present. He stated that “the potential consequences of this case are serious for Madagascar, which risks being subject to international sanctions.”
Captured & Published at: 2026-10-28 05:54:01 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/10/affaire-boeing-777-le-pac-renvoie-le.html