According to L’Observateur, the family of the late Ndiaga Diouf recently cashed a check for 25 million FCFA, the amount of damages that Barthélémy Dias was ordered to pay after his sentence to two years in prison, including six months. The check, given by Barthélémy Dias’ lawyers to Me Pape Mor Niang, lawyer for the Ndiaga Diouf family, was finally declared solvent after some initial questions.
Me Pape Mor Niang told L’Observateur that Ndiaga Diouf’s family, under pressure and perplexed by the procedure, ended up accepting this settlement. “It was a PR stunt because the family was having a hard time understanding the process,” he said. This payment is part of the execution of the judicial decision rendered in the case of the murder of Ndiaga Diouf, which occurred in December 2011 during the attack on the town hall of Mermoz/Sacré-Cœur.
Still according to L’Observateur, this amount was covered by Barthélémy Dias’ sister, due to the latter’s current financial constraints. In fact, the bailiff responsible for seizing the property of the ex-mayor had found neither active bank accounts nor material assets seizable. As a reminder, Barthélémy Dias was convicted in the first instance of assault and battery leading to the death of Ndiaga Diouf. His sentence was confirmed on appeal and in cassation, in addition to the obligation to pay 25 million FCFA in damages.
This affair, which had a lasting impact on Senegalese public opinion, continues to cause much discussion. The Observer underlines that this legal outcome, although important for the family of Ndiaga Diouf, remains marked by tensions, in particular because of the controversies surrounding the execution of court decisions in this emblematic case.
