On Wednesday January 15, 2025, the Kolda High Court sentenced Bounda Baldé, 56, to one year in prison for identity theft and various related offenses. The latter used the identity document of his cousin, Boye Gano, to obtain a job in the civil service, where he received a salary for five years.
A former literacy teacher and volunteer paid by local populations, Bounda Baldé joined the public service in 2018 thanks to fraudulent maneuvers. He presented himself under the identity of his cousin Boye Gano, living in Spain since 2004, to be assigned to elementary school 3 in Kounkané. Under this false name, he received his salary and worked as a teacher, despite lacking the required qualifications.
The subterfuge was discovered in 2023 when Boye Gano, facing administrative difficulties in obtaining a passport, investigated and learned that his identity document was being used by his cousin. A complaint was then filed with the Vélingara district court, leading to the arrest of Bounda Baldé in October 2023.
During his trial, Bounda Baldé admitted the facts. He explained that his late uncle, an administrative secretary in Kounkané, had prepared a file in 2004 to allow him to be recruited as a contract worker, although he did not hold the necessary diplomas. He also admitted to using the false identity to remarry, register his children and take out bank loans.
-The public prosecutor described his actions as “constant facts beyond any doubt”. Although he requested two years in prison, including six months, the court finally sentenced Bounda Baldé to one year in prison and a fine of 50,000 CFA francs, while releasing him from the offense of criminal association.
The affair sparked strong reactions. The defendant’s lawyer, Me Prosper Djiba, stressed that his client, although a crook, had served his country with dignity. This argument was, however, not enough to influence the court’s decision, which recalled the seriousness of the offenses of fraud and forgery.
