The Dakar Court of Appeal rendered its verdict in the so -called book “Scandal at the heart of the Republic: Coud file”, partially confirming the judgment of first instance.
According to echoes, Pope Alé Niang and Mody Niang were found guilty of defamation and complicity, and sentenced to three months in prison with the stay. Regarding civil interests, the Court also condemned them to each pay the sum of 5 million CFA francs to Cheikh Oumar Anne, well below the 10 million initially pronounced by the Dakar Criminal Court.
This trial, linked to the publication of the book evoking alleged embezzlement at the center of the university works of Dakar (Coud), had held in December 2024. Also according to the echoes, the civil party, represented by Me Fatimata Sall and its colleagues, had claimed a staggering amount of 10 billion CFA francs as compensation. Note that the public prosecutor’s office had requested confirmation of the trial judgment, which also imposed a fine of 200,000 CFA francs on both defendants.
-In this case, judged for facts dating from 2020, Cheikh Oumar Anne accuses the authors of the book, Pope Alé Niang and Mody Niang, as well as Nafi Ngom Keïta, of having defamed him by presenting him as manager of important embezzlement in the Coud, at the time when he was responsible for it. The echoes recalls that Mody Niang had written the preface to the book, while Pope Alé Niang was the main author. However, the latter had declared, during his defense, that he had only taken up the report established by the National Office for the Fraud and Corruption (OFNAC).
Regarding Nafi Ngom Keïta, the correctional judge had declared himself incompetent to judge her, the latter having sent a letter to the court to request an exemption from appearance. According to the echoes, this legal position is explained by the particular status of the former president of Ofnac, which was questioned in the work but has not appeared personally.
As a reminder, this judicial file highlights the tensions between investigative journalists and public officials in a context of contested governance. The book in question, which aroused a keen debate within public opinion and university environments, pointed out the management of public resources in a key establishment in Senegalese higher education. Despite the convictions, the accused continue to proclaim their innocence and claim to have acted in respect of the right to information and transparency.
