UPDATE 1-Mali issues arrest warrant for Barrick Gold CEO, document shows

(Adds details from the document, context in paragraphs 2-6)

Dec 5 (Reuters) – Mali has issued an arrest warrant for Mark Bristow, chief executive officer of Canada’s Barrick Gold , according to a document seen by Reuters, confirmed by two sources.

Tensions between Mali, one of Africa’s top gold producers, and miners operating in the country, have escalated after the country revised its mining code with the aim of getting more revenues from the companies.

It arrested four senior local employees of Barrick

in September

over the dispute.

Barrick CEO Mark Bristow told Reuters

in early November

that the world’s No. 2 gold miner was confident of resolving claims and disputes with authorities before the end of the year.

But later that month,

the company said

four employees had been charged and detained pending trial in Mali.

Bristow is accused of money laundering and violation of financial regulations, the warrant document dated Dec. 2, first reported by Malian media, and seen by Reuters, showed.

Barrick said the company “will not be commenting” on the reported arrest warrant. (Reporting by David Lewis, Fadimata Kontao and Portia Crowe; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian Editing by Bate Felix)

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