Bamako December 6 2024: Mali, one of Africa’s biggest gold producers, has issued an arrest warrant for Barrick Gold, Chief Executive Mark Bristow, a warrant document seen on Thursday by Reuters showed, escalating a dispute with the Canadian mining company.
The West African country’s junta-led government is seeking more income from the sector to bolster state revenues as prices of the precious metal rally and has detained mining executives to put pressure on foreign companies operating there.
Four senior local employees of Barrick were briefly detained in September as the government demanded about $500 million in unpaid taxes, and then arrested again last month pending trial.
Bristow told Reuters in early November that the world’s No. 2 gold miner was confident of resolving claims and disputes with authorities before the end of the year.
He is accused of money laundering and violating financial regulations, the warrant document, first reported by Malian media and dated Dec. 4, showed. Its authenticity was confirmed by two sources close to the matter who asked not to be identified.
Barrick said the company “will not be commenting” on the reported arrest warrant, responding to a Reuters request. Barrick’s shares were down 2.9% on the Toronto stock exchange after the news.
Bristow, a South African national who shuttles between Britain and the United States, last travelled to Mali in July, according to the company website. Barrick has its headquarters in Toronto.
Another document showed Mali had also issued an arrest warrant for Cheick Abass Coulibaly, general manager at Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in Mali.
