Mali judge rejects Barrick appeal to free detained employees 

A court in Mali has rejected Barrick Mining’s appeal to release four employees arrested in November, deepening a high-stakes standoff between the Canadian mining giant and the country’s military-led government, as reported by Reuters.

Judge Samba Sarr ruled the appeal “unfounded” according to Barrick, which has repeatedly dismissed the charges as politically motivated and legally baseless. The employees, local staff working at Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold mine, remain in pre-trial detention in Bamako. They face allegations including money laundering and regulatory violations, Alifa Habib Kone, a lawyer for Barrick.

Operations at the site have been suspended since January after the government blocked gold export permits and seized more than three tonnes of the metal. On July 10, Malian helicopters reportedly landed at Loulo-Gounkoto without notice and removed an additional tonne of gold, worth $ 7 million at current prices.