The famous luxury car rental company, Mahmadane Sarr, is at the heart of a resounding financial scandal. According to L’Observateur, the businessman, known for his prestigious vehicle fleet, was placed under arrest warrant by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Financial Judicial Pool (PJF). The case: an astronomical bill of 14 billion FCFA for car rental to the State of Senegal between 2020 and 2023.
From opulence to incarceration
In prison since yesterday, Mahmadane Sarr faces serious charges. PJF investigators accuse him of having benefited from dubious contracts for the rental of high-end vehicles to the State, billing on average 2 billion FCFA per year. Among the models made available were Toyota, Mercedes, BMW and Nissan Patrol, used in particular during official trips and electoral campaigns of the Macky Sall regime.
Despite supporting documents provided to the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC) during a recent hearing, the investigating judges were not convinced by his explanations. Result: Mahmadane Sarr was arrested and placed under arrest warrant, after the execution of an arrest warrant issued by the PJF.
One last jackpot before the end of the regime
The Observer also reveals that Mahmadane Sarr would have received a colossal debt of several billion FCFA shortly before the end of the mandate of former President Macky Sall. This transfer, carried out on the orders of the former Minister of Finance, raises many questions about its timing and the procedures surrounding it.
For the current authorities, led by President Diomaye Faye, this affair highlights the alleged financial abuses of the former regime. According to sources close to the investigation, the sums involved in these vehicle rentals far exceed usual standards, raising doubts about the appropriateness and transparency of the contracts concluded with Mahmadane Sarr.
A business that is difficult
During the last presidential election, many executives of the old regime used cars rented by Mahmadane Sarr to campaign. A situation which reinforces suspicions of favoritism and abuse of public funds.
PJF investigators, supported by the DIC, are now seeking to determine whether internal complicity made it possible to validate these transactions. Initial reports suggest some invoices may have been inflated, while other rented vehicles did not match the descriptions provided.
The symbol of criticized management
This affair goes beyond the case of Mahmadane Sarr and raises broader questions about the management of public resources under the old regime. For Senegalese people, these revelations are a stark reminder of the transparency and governance challenges facing the country.
The Prosecutor’s Office of the Financial Judicial Pool promises to shed light on this matter. As for Mahmadane Sarr, he will now have to answer to the courts for the accusations against him, in a case which could well mark a turning point in the fight against corruption in Senegal.
As L’Observateur points out, “the wheels of Mahmadane Sarr’s fortune seem to have suddenly stopped, but the investigation continues to run at full speed. »
