Five Senegalese ex-ministers charged with corruption

The Senegalese Parliament voted Thursday evening on a draft resolution to refer five ministers from the regime of former President Macky Sall to the High Court of Justice for trial on corruption charges.

The National Assembly, controlled by the Pastef party, voted overwhelmingly in favour of the draft resolution.

Those accused of corruption in the management of the coronavirus fund are: Mansour Faye, Ismaël Madior Fall, Moustapha Diop, Aissatou Sophie Gladima, and Salimata Diop. Investigations have revealed billions of francs in corruption.

Parliament had previously voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of Moustapha Diop and Salimata Diop.

The charges against the former officials relate, in particular, to inflated invoices for rice supplies as part of aid to Senegalese people to cope with the repercussions of the virus, according to the former Minister of Development, Mansour Faye.

Moustapha Diop and Salimata Diop are accused of receiving illegal commissions.

Ismaël Madior Fall, the former Minister of Justice, is accused of demanding a 250 million franc commission from the contractor who constructed the Palace of Justice in Guediawaye, on the outskirts of Dakar.

Fall recently denied this accusation in a media appearance, admitting that the contractor had offered him 50 million francs to implement the project, but that he had diplomatically rejected it, according to his statement.

Senegalese law designates the High Court of Justice as the sole body authorised to try ministers on charges related to matters arising from their ministerial duties.

The President of the National Assembly will immediately transmit the decision to the Public Prosecutor, who will inform the President of the High Court of Justice and the Investigation Committee.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​