A high school student, Aladjaba Torab, born in 2004, has filed a complaint at the 5th arrondissement police station in Bangui alleging threats and harassment from Mariame Fotor, wife of former Minister of Commerce and magistrate Hassan Come. The alleged contact from Ms. Fotor to Mr. Torab occurred following recent election results, specifically after Mr. Come's significant defeat in the legislative elections.
Aladjaba Torab initiated the complaint in Bangui, République centrafricaine, detailing instances of threats and harassment. The student’s filing at the 5th arrondissement police station formalizes the accusation against Mariame Fotor. Ms. Fotor, whose husband Hassan Come previously served as Minister of Commerce and holds the distinguished position of a magistrate, allegedly contacted the student after the announcement of election outcomes. This contact, according to the complaint, involved threats and harassment directed towards the young high school student. The complaint filed by Aladjaba Torab, born in 2004, specifically details these instances of alleged intimidation.
Wife's Confrontation and Complaint
Hassan Come experienced a significant defeat during the legislative elections held on April 26, 2025. This electoral setback for the former Minister of Commerce and magistrate appears to have precipitated the events that followed. Following these election results, Mariame Fotor reportedly challenged Aladjaba Torab to a physical altercation at the Marabéna intersection. This alleged proposal for a physical fight was a key element in the student's subsequent complaint. Police investigators at the 5th arrondissement police station, acting on the complaint lodged by Mr. Torab for threats and harassment, issued two successive summons to Ms. Fotor. Ms. Fotor, however, did not respond to either of these official summons, failing to appear for questioning regarding the serious accusations made against her. The alleged confrontation and subsequent complaint stem from the period after the announcement of the election outcomes, which saw Mr. Come, a former Minister of Commerce and a magistrate, lose his legislative bid. The student's complaint details instances of alleged threats and harassment, providing a formal record of the alleged incidents. Investigators have been attempting to contact Ms. Fotor to obtain her statement regarding the accusations made against her. Her refusal to appear has prolonged the initial stages of the investigation into the matter, hindering the police’s ability to gather all necessary information.
Minister's Intervention and CNS Involvement
In a surprising turn of events, Hassan Come, the former Minister of Commerce and a magistrate, subsequently presented himself to the Compagnie Nationale de Sécurité (CNS) to file a complaint against Aladjaba Torab, rather than addressing the complaint against his wife. This move effectively shifted the focus of the investigation. The CNS hierarchy then took over the case, removing it from the jurisdiction of the 5th arrondissement commissioner, where Aladjaba Torab's initial complaint against Mariame Fotor had been filed. Consequently, Aladjaba Torab received a summons to appear at the CNS on May 6, 2026. This intervention by a national security agency, bypassing local police procedures, raised significant questions about the impartiality of the process. During his questioning at the CNS, Sub-Lieutenant Pazounda Freddy Jonathan interrogated Aladjaba Torab not about the initial allegations of threats and harassment, but specifically regarding his political opinions, his affiliation with 'Carrefour Politique', and his relationship with Hassan Come's opponent. This line of questioning suggested a potential political motivation behind the CNS's involvement. This shift in the procedural handling of the complaint marked a significant development in the ongoing investigation, moving it from a standard police inquiry into alleged harassment to one seemingly focused on the student's political leanings. The involvement of the national security agency altered the initial police inquiry, drawing criticism from observers.
Student's Release and Unresolved Issues
Despite the intervention of the CNS, the prosecutor ultimately ordered the release of Aladjaba Torab, according to reporting by Gisèle MOLOMA. Ms. MOLOMA, the author of this report, stated, "Fortunately, another mafioso, the prosecutor, finally ordered the release of Aladjaba Torab." Her commentary noted the perceived irregularities in the handling of the case. She further questioned the broader implications of the incident, asking, "How can a former minister, and above all a magistrate, mobilize the Republic's security forces to cover his wife's provocations and punish a young high school student whose only fault was to have voted on the wrong side?" This pointed question from Gisèle MOLOMA showed concerns about the abuse of power and the weaponization of state security apparatus.
Ms. MOLOMA also noted the glaring lack of follow-up on the summons issued to Mariame Fotor. The two summons ignored by Ms. Fotor at the 5th arrondissement police station remain without further action, a fact that stands in stark contrast to the swift action taken against the student. "But the two summons ignored by Mariame Fotor at the 5th arrondissement, they remain without follow-up," Ms. MOLOMA reported, adding, "What madness?" She concluded her observations with a critical assessment of those involved, stating, "Thanks to social media, we know the true faces of people we thought were intellectual and respectful. However, they are broken arms." The unresolved nature of the initial complaint against Mariame Fotor continues to be a point of contention, raising questions about justice and accountability in the République centrafricaine.
