Senegal Parliament Refers Ex — Minister to Court on Embezzlement Charges. Dakar, Senegal — Senegal’s parliament on Friday referred a former minister to a special court on charges of embezzling millions of dollars, marking the latest legal action against members of the previous administration led by ex-president Macky Sall.
According to local reports, the National Assembly, which is dominated by the ruling Pastef party, voted to refer former communications and digital affairs minister Moussa Bocar Thiam to the High Court of Justice over a contract for a digital technology park.
The parliamentary report alleged that the contract’s execution indicated “serious indications and presumptions of a nature to justify criminal proceedings.”
The contract, worth 1,476,482,766 CFA francs ($2. 7 million), is accused of involving embezzlement and money laundering.
Thiam, in response, termed the process “without legal basis “on social media and vowed to contest the charges in court.
Since President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko took office in March 2024, they have accused the previous government of mismanaging public funds. At least five of Sall’s ministers have been referred to the High Court of Justice for crimes committed while in office.
The High Court of Justice’s investigating committee will now decide whether to bring Thiam to trial.
The tribunal’s rulings cannot be appealed or reviewed. Further details on the investigation and the outcome of the trial are expected to emerge in the coming days.
