By Fadimata Kontao, Portia Crowe and David Lewis
BAMAKO (Reuters) -Mali, one of Africa’s biggest gold producers, has issued an arrest warrant for Barrick Gold CEO Mark Bristow, according to an arrest warrant seen by Reuters on Thursday, escalating a dispute with the Canadian mining company.
The West African country’s junta-led government is seeking more revenue from the sector to boost state revenues as prices of the precious metal rise, and has arrested mining executives to put pressure on foreign companies operating there are.
Four senior local Barrick employees were briefly detained in September as the government demanded about $500 million in unpaid taxes, then rearrested last month while awaiting 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, according to the warrant, which was first reported by Malian media and dated December 4. Its authenticity was confirmed by two sources close to the case, who asked not to be identified.
Barrick said the company “will not comment” on the reported arrest warrant, in response to a request from Reuters. Barrick shares fell 2.9% on the Toronto stock exchange after the news.
Bristow, a South African citizen who commutes between Britain and the United States, last traveled to Mali in July, according to the company’s website. Barrick is headquartered in Toronto.
Another document showed that Mali had also issued an arrest warrant for Cheick Abass Coulibaly, general manager of Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in Mali.
Australia’s Resolute Mining also had its British CEO and two other employees arrested by Mali’s military-led authorities last month over a tax dispute.
They were released after the miner agreed to pay $160 million.
The arrest and arrest warrants in Mali highlight the challenges faced by international mining companies in the region, where Burkina Faso and Niger have also increased pressure on them.
Burkina junta leader Ibrahim Traore said in October that the country plans to revoke the mining licenses of some foreign companies and will try to produce more of its own gold.
Niger has taken control of the Somair uranium mine from French nuclear fuel company Orano, the company said on Wednesday.
The three countries have broken away from traditional allies like the United States and former colonial power France and moved closer to Russia, helping to keep their military leaders safe.
(Reporting by David Lewis, Fadimata Kontao, Portia Crowe; additional reporting by Divyia Rajagopal in Toronto; Writing by Anait MiridzhanianEditing by Bate Felix, Silvia Aloisi and Barbara Lewis)
