The Dakar Research Brigade referred AN Diène this morning to the public prosecutor for alleged acts of charlatanism and fraud involving 75 million CFA francs. The victims, PA Samb and his brother SM Samb, filed a complaint after being cheated by an alleged marabout presented by the accused.
The case began on December 16, 2024, when the Samb brothers, two Senegalese established in the United States for several years, filed a complaint with the gendarmerie. Returning to Senegal to invest in commercial projects, notably the import of goods and the opening of a restaurant in Yoff, PA Samb hires A. Nd. Diène as a collaborator in his establishment. During a conversation, the latter praises the “mystical powers” of a marabout named Pa Touré, originally from Sédhiou.
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According to Diène, the latter would have the ability to ensure business prosperity through rituals. Seduced by this idea, PA Samb contacted Pa Touré and paid him 5 million CFA francs to begin rituals supposed to “profit” his business. Convinced of the supposed effectiveness of the incantations, he persuaded his brother SM Samb to join in this process. The latter also sends large sums to the marabout. The payments multiplied over the months, ultimately reaching a total of 75 million CFA francs. Unfortunately, despite the financial sacrifices and the “mystical baths” carried out, no tangible improvement has been noted in their affairs.
The marabout Pa Touré ends up breaking all contact, arousing the suspicions of the Samb brothers. Disillusioned, they filed a complaint with the Dakar Research Brigade. Questioned by investigators, AN Diène denies any involvement in the scam. He claims to have limited himself to playing the role of intermediary between the Samb brothers and the marabout Pa Touré, without having knowledge of the financial transactions which followed. For the moment, the main suspect, Pa Touré, has not yet been apprehended by the authorities, while the investigation continues to determine responsibilities in this affair which combines charlatanism and despair.
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