Judicial and penitentiary authorities revealed yesterday a suspected plan to help an inmate escape from Tsiafahy prison and set fire to the facility. The prosecutor of the Republic at the Court of First Instance of Antananarivo and the regional director of the Penitentiary Administration provided details on an ongoing investigation into the high-security prison of Tsiafahy. According to their statements, a plan aimed at enabling an inmate's escape and setting the facility ablaze had been prepared. The alleged facts did not materialize. Several people suspected of involvement were identified and arrested. Some were placed in provisional detention, while others remain at large and are subject to arrest warrants. "Intelligence indicated a plan to help an inmate escape and set fire to the high-security prison of Tsiafahy. Security at the facility was therefore reinforced on Sunday, August 23rd. In such situations, standard procedure involves searches and inspections in penitentiary facilities. During these operations, a mobile phone was discovered in the cell of the inmate, Colonel Rakotomamonjy Patrick. The discovery of equipment whose introduction into prison is prohibited is governed by penitentiary internal regulations," explained Inspector Ranaivoson Olivier, regional director of the Penitentiary Administration for Analamanga. The investigation opened following the phone discovery led investigators to examine its contents and recorded exchanges. According to Rakotoniaina Narindra Navalona, prosecutor of the Republic at the Court of First Instance of Antananarivo, several elements gathered during investigations indicate two scenarios were considered to enable the inmate's release. "Following the discovery of the phone in the belongings of inmate Colonel Rakotomamonjy Patrick, an investigation was opened. A search was conducted and secret messages as well as audio recordings of conversations with several people were found. Two methods had been considered to remove Colonel Rakotomamonjy Patrick from prison. The first involved setting fire to and causing an explosion at Tsiafahy prison to enable his escape. A woman residing abroad was among those involved in preparing the plan. She had sought funding of 4,000 euros to carry out this escape. Exchanges on this matter were recorded. People had also already planned to receive the inmate upon his release from prison," she stated. The second scenario, according to prosecutors, would have involved falsifying the results of a medical examination with the alleged complicity of a doctor to enable the inmate's release from the penitentiary facility.