The Senegalese Parliament has voted to refer five former ministers from President Macky Sall’s administration to the High Court for charges related to “corruption” amid the COVID-19 crisis.
The former ministers, Mustapha Diop, Amadou Mansour Faye, Salimata Diop, and Aissatou Sophie Gladima, face allegations of “corruption” concerning the management of the COVID-19 fund, while former Minister of Justice Ismaïla Madior Fall is accused of “serious embezzlement of public land” designated for the construction of a court.
Abdullah Tall, the Chairman of the Law, Decentralization, and Human Rights Committee in the National Assembly, confirmed that the Parliament is the only authority authorized to issue a referral decision, stressing that the Assembly “is not a political body, even though it comprises deputies.” He clarified that the Parliament determines the facts, not the police or the public prosecutor’s office.
In contrast, Deputy Aissatou Tall Sall criticized the procedures taken against the former ministers, arguing that the deputies have “replaced the prosecutor” and that the Parliament’s vote on the charges against them is “illegal.”
It is noteworthy that Senegal established a fund during Macky Sall’s tenure to respond to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2021, amounting to 700 billion CFA francs (over one billion euros). A report from the Court of Auditors in 2022 indicated cases of inflated invoices for the purchase of materials, including large quantities of rice sold at significantly higher prices than usual.
Additionally, it is significant to mention that the referral of government officials to the High Court in Senegal has occurred only twice since 1960, the first in 1963 and the second in 2005.
