Burkina Faso’s Ouaga One High Court has sentenced former magistrate Sidaty Yoda to 18 months in prison and a hefty fine for his role in a major real estate scam.

Yoda and his co-defendants were found guilty of illegally selling urban plots and laundering money, with total losses estimated at 108 million CFA francs.

The court also ordered them to pay 291.6 million CFA francs in fines. However, co-accused Lamine Tera and Adama Ganamé were acquitted of laundering charges but convicted of theft.

Yoda, a former magistrate in Banfora, had been in pre-trial detention since February following public complaints lodged in July 2024.