Mali hearing on Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto mines postponed to June 2

A Malian court has postponed for the second timea hearing on whether to place Barrick Mining’s Loulo-Gounkoto gold mine under provisional administration to restart operations, the presiding judge said on Thursday.

The state had requested the adjournment until June 2, Judge Mahamadou Tipou Keita told Reuters.

Mali’s government has asked the local court to appoint a provisional administrator to take over Barrick’s mine, which it suspended in January over the alleged nonpayment of taxes. Barrick has denied those charges.

The government has renegotiated agreements with other multinational miners under a new mining law. Barrick is the only one that has not agreed to Mali’s terms, resulting in the arrest of its employees, asset seizures, and suspension of its operations.

(By Tiemoko Diallo and Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Bate Felix and Richard Chang)

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