Witch hunt or fight against corruption: the new authorities target executives of the old regime

“If we have to pull their toes, we will do it to get them back. In the next few days, dozens of them will report back.” On September 4, Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko raised his voice in the so-called “responsibility” addressed to several executives of the former Macky Sall regime, which left power in April.

Five days later, Abdoulaye Saydou Sow, former Minister of Urban Development under former President Macky Sall, held a press conference at the headquarters of his party, the Alliance pour la République (APR), now in opposition. Mr. Sow explained in particular that he had been prevented from leaving Senegalese territory, without being given any further details, when he was due to attend a match of the national team in Malawi as vice-president of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF).

It is hard not to see a link with what Mr Sonko added when he spoke on 4 September: “ We have taken precautionary measures so that some cannot leave the country. »

The new Senegalese authorities continue to criticise Macky Sall’s government. Ousmane Sonko and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye made transparency and the fight against corruption important themes in their presidential campaigns. The Head of State even drew a slogan from them: “Jub, Jubbal, Jubbanti”a Wolof concept referring to integrity and righteousness.

“Deliberately hidden slips”

In July, three months after his election, he asked the General State Inspectorate (IGE) to audit the management of several dozen directorates, agencies and public funds. In a speech on 12 September, Diomaye Faye declared that a report had been submitted to the Court of Auditors and denounced “deliberately hidden errors” which would have damaged state finances.

Since July, lists of names have been circulating in the press and in political WhatsApp groups. These are former ministers and heads of public bodies or institutions who are believed to be in the authorities’ sights for cases relating to the management of public funds. Manar Sall, former director general of Petrosen, the national oil production company, was, like Sow, prevented from leaving the country on 10 September. This was also the case for Mamadou Gueye, an activist in Sall’s APR and former director of taxes and domains.

The former ruling party denounces “witch hunt”. “We believe that at least fifty people are being targeted, including former ministers and many potential candidates for the legislative elections on November 17,” He is outraged Omar Youm, a party executive and former minister under Mr Sall, also denounces the procedures that he considers vague.

“These people who have been prevented from travelling do not even know whether they are formally the subject of judicial investigations. There is a good chance that these serious restrictions have no legal basis.” complaint.

Creation of a new judicial pool

In response, a dozen associations defending public and individual freedoms signed a text asking the authorities “ensure that accountability is carried out within a legal and equitable framework”. “Everyone agrees that the trial of Karim Wade, son of former President Abdoulaye Wade, in 2014 was marred by the failure to respect the right to a defence. This had undermined the fight against corruption. This time, the new authorities must do better.” estimates Alioune Tine, leader of one of these associations.

The Ministry of Justice is barely communicative in this regard and limits itself to guaranteeing that the prohibitions on leaving the territory are the responsibility of the prosecutor and “that at least five people involved have already disappeared into thin air”. “In the absence of known and notified proceedings, no law allows a prosecutor to obstruct the freedom of a citizen and my client, like others, has not received any clarification on this order,” This bothers a lawyer for Mr. Sow. Listening to this renowned jurist, the current procedures are “messy” AND “policy”.

We, the MM Sonko and Diomaye Faye party, the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (Pastef), defend ourselves against any form of exploitation of justice. “People want this accountability. The truth is, the street is telling us that we are not going fast enough or strong enough. But we want to do things the right way.”says Ayib Daffé, the party’s secretary general.

The latter wants to prove that President Diomaye Faye “provided the new judicial financial pool with offices, equipment and solid resources”On September 17, twenty-seven magistrates specializing in the fight against corruption and economic crimes were officially installed within a new judicial body replacing the Tribunal for the Suppression of Illicit Enrichment (CREI). This new pool, designed under the mandate of former head of state Mr. Sall, has expanded powers compared to the old CREI.

But above all, unlike this, it offers the defense the possibility of appeal and puts an end to the procedural rules that reversed the burden of proof and made the litigants presumed guilty. The prosecutor appointed to head the institution was quick to call the magistrates ” carry out their work in accordance with the law, with respect for the dignity of the person and the rights of the defense “.

In the political arena, former opponents of the Macky Sall regime are also demanding accountability. With her usual enthusiasm, Aminata – known as “Mimi” – Touré, a former prime minister aligned with Bassirou Diomaye Faye, recently declared about Amadou Ba, former head of government of Mr. Sall and unsuccessful candidate in the last presidential elections, that “ should speak about his former responsibilities as Finance Minister. Beyond his personal fortune (…), He knows he has explanations to give on many financial issues. “.