The judicial and financial pool installed in September 2024 already processed 87 files, ordered the arrest of 162 people and recovered around 2.5 billion FCFA (almost 3.75 million euros). In a threatening tone, Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko promised “zero tolerance” towards crime in white collar.
By Ibrahima Dieng
The National Assembly of Senegal is expected to decide this Friday, January 25 on the lifting of parliamentary immunity from the deputy Farba Ngom, a close to former president Macky Sall, at the request of the financial prosecutor’s office who is investigating an alleged bleaching network capital on suspicious transactions of more than 125 billion FCFA. For some time now, the machine has been initiated for the surrender of accounts or the hunt for poorly acquired goods. These last two weeks have even accelerated. This exercise seems to have become a priority for the DIOMAYE FAYE-OUMANE SONKO tandem.
Red accounts
Already in his speech of September 12, the President of the Republic Bassirou Diomaye Faye promised that all the responsibilities were going to be clearly located. He thus referred to public management under the old administration, which, according to him, was marked by an unacceptable lightness. The head of state regretted “an uncontrolled drift of the wage bill, an explosion of debt and its interests, as well as a completely chaotic subsidy management”. Continuing his speech, the Senegalese president was offending slips like “Voluntary and hidden manipulations, causing an uncontrolled explosion of debt ». Practices, which, in his eyes, have undermined the country’s credibility and financial health. Two weeks later, on September 27, 2024, his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko abounded in the same direction. During a press conference, he revealed the figures for the audit of public finances. In barely contained anger, the Senegalese PM said that the budget deficit which was announced at an average of 5.5 % of the gross domestic product (GDP), over the period 2019/2023, was actually 10.4 % Or double what has been announced. In terms of debt, the government speaks of 1892 billion FCFA borrowed but not found on booklets and public accounts. “” Since March 24, 2024, with the election of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, we have now entered the era of zero tolerance for detection as well as for the sanction of occult practices, in accordance with our commitment in terms of surrender Accounts before the people “, Reiterated the Prime Minister, on the sidelines of a ceremony dedicated to public administrators.
2.5 billion FCFA recovered
-Speaking of “significant damage”, the first Ousmane Sonko had promised hell to “looters”. This is how the judicial and financial pool (PJF) was installed. This new system brings together 27 specialists. These are specialized magistrates, financial investigators as well as other experts whose mission is to deal with complex affairs relating to financial crime. The pool focuses on serious offenses such as corruption, money laundering, the embezzlement of public funds and other major economic crimes. The creation of this financial judicial pool aims to promote transparency and efficiency in the processing of economic files. The judicial and financial pool also aims to accelerate the processing of corruption files. So after three months of activities, this body delivered its first results on January 15. According to the PJF prosecutor, Aliou Abdoulah Sylla, 87 files to the judges. This caused the arrest of 162 people and the seizure of 2.5 billion CFA francs. For the prosecutor, this shows the relevance of the body and marks a turning point in the fight against economic and financial delinquency in Senegal. “” The financial prosecutor’s office works in particular on the basis of files transmitted by other state bodies and in particular the Ministry of Finance, underlined the prosecutor. Far from the accusations of political proceedings formulated by certain detractors, the mission is guided by a logic of transparency so that the public is informed, while respecting the presumption of innocence and the rights of the ».
Former dignitaries in the viewfinder
In Senegal, one of the first victims of accountability was the former Minister of Sports, Lat Diop. He has been in prison since mid-September. As a former director general of the Senegalese national lottery (Lonase), he is prosecuted for corruption and diversion of public funds on 5 billion FCFA which he would have received from the 1xbet sports betting platform, partner of the Lonase. After him, another laying of the Old Regime, Momath Bâ was arrested on Saturday January 19, 2025. Former director of the Development and Promotion Agency for Industrial Sites (APROSI) and Cousin of the late Minister of Finance and Budget, Mamadou Moustapha Bâ, he is prosecuted for complicity in the case of the diversion of nearly 700 million by the inspector of the Treasury Tabaski Ngom. After his hearing by the investigating judge, Mr. Bâ, currently mayor of Nioro, in the southwest of Senegal, was placed under judicial supervision, in exchange for the payment of a deposit of 90 million FCFA. On the saddle, MP Farba Ngom, should be fixed on his fate this Friday. Member of the first circle of former President of the Republic Macky Sall, the deputy Ngom was publicly warned by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in November 2024 during the electoral campaign for the legislative elections. He promised him compensation for all the noted injustices and slippages. Today, everything suggests that his arrest is imminent. Indeed, an ad hoc commission, installed by the National Assembly to examine the request for the lifting of its parliamentary immunity, recommended that the plenary of the Parliament to reserve a favorable suite for the request. In addition to the money laundering charges of nearly 125 billion CFA francs, the deputy Farba Ngom is also cited in land disputes currently in instruction.
The upwind opposition
If on the government side, we are talking about the surrender of the accounts or a hunt for very badly acquired, the opposition, for its part, denounces a “witch hunt”. Thus, she decided to hire resistance. She committed six lawyers of the Senegal Bar, El Hadji Amadou Sall, El Hadji Diouf, Oumar Youm, Antoine Mbengue, all former ministers, as well as my Ousmane Thiam and Adama Fall to assist the incriminated deputy. This team is preparing the defense of Farba Ngom after the Minister of Justice’s decision to seize the National Assembly to request the lifting of its parliamentary immunity. Faced with this situation, the former Minister Mansour Faye also, brother of the former First Lady, Marième Faye Sall believes that the supporters of power want to populate the prisons. “” I’m afraid! Not for me because I don’t know fear, but I’m afraid for my country. It clearly appears that this diet and its henchmen have planned to overcrowd the prisons more “Wrote Mansour Faye on Facebook. The president of the opposition parliamentary group, Aissata Tall Sall assimilates the situation to a parody. “” Farba Ngom’s accusation file is based solely on four letters of transmission of the prosecution. I decided not to associate myself with this ad hoc commission parody She says to justify her boycott. Former ministers, former managers general, former senior officials responding to their management in court, the fact is completely unprecedented in the country.
So nothing surprising to see the news of the judicial and financial pool to agitate the Senegalese media scene and ignite social networks. The current atmosphere recalls in many ways the first months of former President of the Republic Macky Sall, as part of the hunt for goods especially with the Karim Wade file, son of the third President of the Republic of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade .
