Captain Thomas Sankara took power in Burkina Faso, formerly Upper Volta, following the Revolution of August 4, 1983. And he led it until the day of his assassination by the men of Captain Blaise Compaoré on August 15 October 1987. Throughout the time he spent in the exercise of his functions as President of Burkina Faso, he showed an integrity that commands respect and admiration to this day. Here is proof if there is one, among many others, by the Declaration of his assets made before the People's Commission for the Prevention of Corruption (CPPC) on February 19, 1986.
“Comrade President of the CNR (Editor's note: National Council of the Revolution), Comrade members of the Revolutionary Government, Comrade Ambassadors, Comrade militants and militants of the RDP (Editor's note: Democratic and Popular Revolution), this day of February 19, 1986 is a great day for the RDP. In accordance with the requirements of the revolution, in accordance with the deep aspirations of our people, and in accordance with the line that the CNR has drawn for itself, we have the signal honor today, we members of the first CPPC to receive a certain number of militant comrades of the RDP, today, and to hear them on the declaration of their possessions. I would like to recall that for this first audience, we will successively invite the comrades who have been summoned, to make the public deposition of their assets. CPPC is not to be confused with TPR (Editor's note: People's Courts of the Revolution). Our role is to record the various declarations. Subsequently, the commission will be responsible for conducting investigations to verify the veracity of the declaration of these assets. As a result, when the investigation has been completed, we will be able at this precise moment, either to recognize that the comrade who made the declaration of his property has confessed everything, or will then have to explain any further. Moreover, as the texts specify, the TPRs are required to take over from the CPPC so as to judge the culprits, if culprits there are. »
After this introductory statement, the president of the CPPC, read out the list of people summoned… After the reading of the list of people summoned, Thomas Sankara was the first called to the bar to testify. He made the following statement:
“Comrades members of the 1st CPPC, Comrade President, I will communicate to you reading of my goods, assured that you will carry out investigations, all investigations here and everywhere, to verify the veracity, assured especially that the militants of Burkina, wherever they are, here or elsewhere, will help the truth to manifest itself, if by chance I happened to forget a text, if I voluntarily came to try to escape from this obligation to tell the truth, the whole truth... (laughs in the room).
In terms of real estate, I will first mention a refrigerator, I point out that it is broken (laughter in the room). This device is not currently available to me. It was lent to a couple of friends, because by virtue of my duties, I received this material at the Palace of the Presidency. I also have two television sets with VCR which are installed in my home and in my living room. I also installed a television at my workplace, because I often need to listen to world news wherever I am (laughs in the room).
Personally, I have a complete living room and a library which should be delivered shortly. Maybe by the end of the month. This is a personal order. I also own three acoustic guitars. I cite them because I attribute a great deal of value to them.
As real estate, I own a villa in the Cité BND, in sector 2. It was acquired by engagement with the BND-B on loan No. 313/109-862 in December 1976. I am subject to reimbursement in 120 monthly payments and to date, the sum of 678824F remains to be paid to the bank, which I pay with monthly payments of 31944F, as I can prove to you by the documents of the BNDB which I have here. This house is currently occupied by a relative, who I hope will pay me what he owes me (laughter in the room). I say this because I intend to divest myself of this house, and we will establish between him and me, a contract in good and due form.
We have land in sector 7 that has not been developed to date, which my wife had already acquired. We have land in my village, which is not developed. He had been seized by the CDRs (laughter in the room). According to the latest news, the CDRs returned it, inviting us to invest in this new plot. They had it removed because we haven't invested in it for a number of years. So we received a summons from the CDRs to do something on the ground. I will also fulfill this obligation given to me by the CDRs in my village.
We have a Mitsubishi brand car, acquired in 1978. It was regularly cleared through customs in eighteen monthly installments with the Treasurer-Paymaster General. I have here the decision of the Ministry of Finance of February 1979 which granted me the possibility of paying these customs charges. I can read the letter to you. And also the certificate of the Treasurer-Paymaster General which proves that I have regularly paid all these customs drafts. I own two racing bikes, a lady's bike and a children's bike. We have no shares or commercial paper. We have two salaries: my salary, (confers the pay slip issued by the Directorate of Military Intendance) reveals a net of 138736 FCFA per month (laughs in the room). My wife has a salary of 192698 FCFA. As I said earlier, we share the expenses and my wife takes care of the current household expenses and I take care of the big expenses and also especially the social obligations, in particular the incessant help to friends and others who request it.
I have a bank account at BICIA-B and an account at Caisse Nationale d'Epargne. At BICIA-B, my account is in credit of 353,665 FCFA. I specify that this sum was frozen because we carried out an order, new orders which should be paid, as of December. Unfortunately, the carpenter we ordered from has not yet delivered what we expect. And we therefore expect him to deliver us so that we pay. At that time, of course, the account will tend towards... At the Caisse Nationale d'Epargne, I therefore have an account which, I believe, since 1979 has not been active. I could not make withdrawals but I did not make a deposit either, and the Caisse Nationale d'Epargne reveals that I have 69792 FCFA. Unfortunately, I am not in good standing to enjoy this account because I have misplaced the documents due to my many incessant and repeated moves (laughter in the room). My wife has a credit account at BICIA-B of 43,037 FCFA. Obviously this account is regularly hectic in withdrawals, given our family responsibilities, schooling as well. At BICIA-B, she also holds a credit account of 63,646 FCFA. We each have a golden wedding ring that is valuable. My wife has other jewels, chains and bracelets, but I would like to specify right away and keep myself at the disposal of the CPPC, that these jewels as we have inventoried it, we could not quantify the value, because it is generally imitation gold jewelry, so this jewelry, jewelers cannot assign values to them, except for purchase. Once you have bought them, these jewels that are generally called junk lose their value. But I'm quoting it anyway because fellow activists said they saw my wife with diamonds on TV. I specify that it is not. But we hold these jewels at the disposal of the commission out of any expertise.
I would like to cite donations, but ask the commission not to reveal the donors for reasons of state.
I received a donation of 400000 FCFA, a donation of 20000000 FCFA, a donation of 75000000 FCFA, a donation of 350000000 FCFA and a donation of 400000000 FCFA (noise of surprise and bewilderment in the room). For all these values, these sums of money, while thanking the generous donors, I have deposited these sums after the National Budget, or with state institutions that can prove these deposits.
I also received cars that were all transferred to the state park. So I received a BMW, an Alpha Romeo, a Cressida Toyota, a Mitsubishi as well, but I returned all these vehicles to the state car fleet.
My wife received 5000000 FCFA once, 5000000 FCFA a second time, then 10000000 FCFA. These sums were transferred to the Revolutionary Solidarity Fund, then to the women's restaurant. This, Comrade President, Comrade Members of the Commission, is the statement I wanted to make.
I have not mentioned certain goods which are so perishable that it was difficult for me to evaluate them. I am thinking of clothing, I am thinking of the library as well, which I have not been able to evaluate, books that I have in quite a large number, either bought by myself or offered by people, friends, strangers etc... I am at your disposal, Comrade President, for any question that you deem useful”.
Declaration of assets of President Thomas Sankara
