No, Burkina Faso’s Finance Minister was not whipped for mismanaging the country’s finances. This claim is based on a piece of misinformation that circulated widely on social media via a viral video.
Here are the facts regarding this rumour:
The Viral Video is Miscaptioned: Several fact-checking organizations (including Dubawa, BOOM Live, and The Quint) investigated the video showing a man being beaten in public. They concluded that the man in the video is not a former or current minister from Burkina Faso.
Different Claims, Same Video: The video has been shared with multiple false captions. It was initially claimed to show the former Transport Minister, Vincent Dabilgou. Later, other versions claimed it showed a Finance Minister. Both claims have been proven false.
Real Convictions, Different Punishment: The grain of truth that may have given this story traction is that a former Burkinabé official was indeed convicted of financial crimes. Former Transport Minister Vincent Dabilgou was sentenced in August 2023 to 11 years in prison for embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. He was in prison when the video of the beating emerged online.
No Reported Instance: There is no credible evidence from news organizations or fact-checkers that public whipping is used as a state-sanctioned punishment for high-ranking government officials in Burkina Faso.