Embezzlement Allegations
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Five former ministers from Macky Sall’s regime are facing potential prosecution before the High Court of Justice in Senegal for alleged embezzlement of public funds meant for the Covid-19 response, according to the Public Prosecutor near the Dakar Court of Appeal.
Serious Presumptions of Embezzlement
The Public Prosecutor, Mbacke Fall, revealed during a press conference that serious suspicions weighed on the management of the Covid-19 Fund by the five former ministers. He transmitted their file to the National Assembly to decide whether to initiate proceedings against them before the High Court of Justice.
Exceptional Procedure
“This is a really exceptional procedure,” Fall explained. “All ministers who have acted and committed offenses in the exercise of their duties are accountable before this High Court.”
Broader Investigation
Apart from the five ministers, 27 people have been charged since the beginning of the week for alleged malpractices in the use of special funding dedicated to the Covid-19 response between 2020 and 2021. Dozens of public figures and senior officials in the health sector are among those implicated.
Court of Auditors Report
The investigation follows a report by the Court of Auditors, which highlighted numerous cases of overbilling in the Covid-19 Fund in December 2022. The report listed many “management faults” in the 700 billion CFA franc fund (equivalent to over 1 billion euros) mobilized by international donors and the Senegalese state.
Seizures and Questionings
The Public Prosecutor of the Financial Judicial Unit, El Hadji Alioune Abdulaye Sylla, stated that since the establishment of the unit, 15 billion CFA francs had been seized by the judiciary, and 262 people involved in 282 financial cases had been questioned.