A trial in Madagascar resumes on October 27 over the transfer of Boeing planes to Iran, involving forged documents and links to a sanctioned Iranian airline.
Trial resumes in Antananarivo
A trial regarding the transfer of five Boeing 777-200ER aircraft to Iran via Madagascar will resume on October 27 in Antananarivo. The case involves businessman Mamy Ravatomanga, who is currently detained in Mauritius and faces charges related to the alleged misuse of documents in the aircraft transfer.Aircraft's route and registration
The aircraft, former assets of Singapore Airlines, were registered with provisional Madagascar registrations with the prefix "5R" and assigned to Udaan Aviation, an entity that planned to operate them in Madagascar. Udaan Potentials Ltd, the company associated with the project, was registered in Antananarivo in 2023 with a declared capital of 2 million Ariary, less than 400 euros.Documents and their expiration
Provisional registration and airworthiness certificates were issued to Udaan Aviation on January 17, 2025, with the declared purpose of transporting the aircraft from China to Kenya for maintenance. These documents were due to expire on April 17, but the aircraft were spotted in Cambodia and departed for Iran on July 15, 2025.Allegations of document forgery
ACM claims the documents used after their expiration were forged and that it was alerted in June 2025 by Cambodian authorities about suspicious parts concerning several aircraft. A complaint was filed for "forgery and use of forged documents." The court must determine the initial issuance of the certificates, possible modifications of their validity, the role of the beneficiary companies, and knowledge of the final destination.Legal proceedings and charges
Mamy Ravatomanga is being prosecuted for money laundering and influence peddling. He is also facing provisional charges of money laundering in Mauritius and will not be present at the trial in Antananarivo. According to the indictment, another defendant, Singh Khushwinder, is suspected of being the true owner of the Malagasy company used to register the aircraft and accuses Ravatomanga of receiving 5 million euros in the operation.Photographic evidence and defense
The case includes photographs of a meeting at the Novotel in Antananarivo, reportedly including Ravatomanga, the then Minister of Transport Valéry Ramonjavelo, the general director of ACM, and Hamid Arabnejad, head of Mahan Air. Ravatomanga's lawyers state the alleged photograph was never brought to his attention.Mahan Air and U.S. sanctions
Mahan Air, the private Iranian airline associated with the aircraft, has been under U.S. sanctions since 2011 for material support to the Al-Qods Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The U.S. Department of State designated it under another sanctions program in December 2019, citing its involvement in the transport of equipment, weapons, and drone systems.Implications for Madagascar
The United States has prohibited the sale of Boeing aircraft to Iran since 2018, and any transaction involving American aircraft, parts, or certain designated actors can expose participants to U.S. retaliatory measures. For Madagascar, which maintains significant economic relations with the United States, the case goes beyond an administrative irregularity in the aviation sector.
