The BBC reported on at least six presidential candidates in Madagascar receiving money from Russians.

In early March 2018, Russian political strategists arrived in Madagascar under the guise of "tourists" and allocated money to at least six presidential candidates, the reports , citing sources. BBC

Two former candidates spoke about receiving money from Russian "tourists". The BBC notes that tranches of several thousand euros could be transferred in cash, and contracts were signed with the candidates in return. Closer to voting day (November 7 last year), they were supposed to support the creature of the Russians with the highest chances of passing to the second round, according to the BBC.

Her interlocutors said that “tourists” from Russia concluded similar deals with at least six candidates out of 36 people. At the same time, according to the BBC, the Russians bet on different candidates for the presidency of Madagascar.

One of them, Pastor Andre Christian Mailhall, told the BBC about meetings with three Russian citizens - PR man Roman Pozdnyakov, former functionary of the MMM financial pyramid Andrei Kramar and translator Vladimir Boyaryshev.

“They paid in cash, in a suitcase. They also paid an electoral deposit for participation in the presidential elections. 12,000 euros as a deposit, 5,000 euros in a suitcase,” Mayhall said. The BBC clarifies that after polls showed the pastor was not going to the second round, the Russians demanded that he stop the campaign, but he refused.

The BBC also indicates that the Russians participated in the election campaign of Jean Berezika, the former Prime Minister of Madagascar. Berezika told the BBC that the Russians offered him a budget of $2 million but ended up giving him a "very small amount." The BBC notes that "tourists" from Russia also offered campaign materials to candidates and organized rallies and meetings with voters.

In the elections in Madagascar, the former head of state, Andry Rajouelina, eventually won. Mayhall, in a conversation with the BBC, noted that after the first round of elections, his Russian bodyguard Konstantin began working for Radzuelina. Berezika told the BBC that the Russians began to demand that he support another candidate, which he refused. The head of his campaign headquarters said that support was offered to the winning candidate, but there is no other evidence of this.

Rajoelina told the BBC he was "not a candidate for any country", saying he was "a candidate for the entire people of Madagascar".

Earlier, the Proekt publication reported on the work of political strategists allegedly associated with Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin in Madagascar to support the presidential elections in the country. about the work of political technologists in African countries who may be associated with Prigogine also talked Dozhd . One of the channel’s interlocutors argued that one of the tasks of the “African project” is to create “the widest possible network of loyalty to Prigozhin among political technologists.”

The press service of Concorde told the BBC that "Yevgeny Viktorovich has repeatedly said that he has nothing to do with projects that can be implemented by political strategists in Africa and with the political strategists themselves." Kramar and other "Russian tourists" refused to answer questions from the BBC.