The former head of the armed forces in Madagascar has been arrested and charged with an attempted coup against the regime of President Marc Ravalomanana. General Bruno Rajohnson has been remanded in custody along with two other people. Since he took power, the new president has been very worried about attempts to overthrow him. On the night of 6 February a vehicle was stopped outside the ministry of defence in the capital, Antananarivo. Inside were two soldiers heavily armed with grenades. When questioned they said they were acting under the orders of a well known and outspoken critic of the government, Liva Ramahazomanana, and a top general whose identity was not revealed at the time. Now the government say that general was none other than General Rajohnson, a leading army officer who was armed forces chief under former President Didier Ratsiraka. But already one newspaper, La Tribune, is casting doubt on the likely culpability of the general. Full Story