A former chairwoman of Madagascar Airlines (MD, Antananarivo), Hajanirina Rinah Rakotomanga, and five co-defendants have been arrested on corruption-related charges, according to an announcement by the country's attorney-general.

Charges against them include favouritism, conflict of interest, forgery and use of forged documents, embezzlement of public funds, complicity in embezzlement, and abuse of office.

Following their initial appearance before the investigating judge at the Court of First Instance of the Anti-Corruption Office of Antananarivo, five of the accused were placed in pretrial detention at Antanimora Prison and one defendant was granted provisional release under judicial supervision.

Their arrests follow an investigation and a December 12, 2024, report by Madagascar's anti-corruption authority (Bureau Indépendant Anti-Corruption - BIANCO), which referred their cases to the prosecutor's office at the Court of First Instance on November 14.

According to a statement by Attorney-General Bendrainy Velo, the accused are implicated in the so-called "Madagascar Airlines case", which also involves Pro Beton SARLU, a local construction company. The case centres on an MGA498.8 million ariary (USD111,000) public procurement contract for the reconstruction of the airline's building in Toamasina, awarded in July 2023. The anti-corruption authority identified "numerous irregularities in the process through which Pro Beton SARLU obtained this public contract".

The investigation is ongoing.

Rakotomanga served as chairwoman of Air Madagascar and its successor Madagascar Airlines from April 2022 until her resignation in November 2023 citing deteriorating internal relations and operational difficulties within the airline. Madagascar Airlines officially took over operations from Air Madagascar on October 29, 2023.

The Madagascar Tribune reports that Rakotomanga, a former journalist and close associate of former president Andry Rajoelina, who was ousted in October 2025, was recently dismissed from her role as an adviser at Madagascar’s embassy in China. She returned to Madagascar and joined a pro-Rajoelina protest, resulting in a travel ban against her and about 20 others. She was arrested on November 9 in Toamasina for failing to respond to a court summons from BIANCO.