Economic, judicial and political news is the favorite center of interest in the daily newspapers received by the APS on Wednesday.
A judge from the financial prosecutor’s office issued an order intended to have an audit and expertise firm verify ”whether the activities of the Tida and Itta companies are compatible with the contract” that they signed with the Domains Program community farmers (PRODAC), announces Libération.
This is the new stage of a judicial investigation, because, recalls the same newspaper, Mamina Daffé, a former coordinator of PRODAC, and Ibrahima Cissé, the manager of the Tida company, have been placed under arrest warrant since last November for alleged fraud on public funds, forgery and use of forgery in private writing, money laundering, etc.
PRODAC is a public program created when Macky Sall ruled the country, with the aim of generating numerous agricultural jobs in several regions.
”The financial judge seeks in particular to know whether or not there is an offense of overbilling,” says Source A precisely.
The same newspaper adds that the aim of the order issued by the magistrate is also to know ”whether the companies Tida and Itta are capable or not of carrying out the contract” awarded to them by PRODAC.
‘Doubtful connections’
Source A speaks of a “strong decision by the financial judge”. The Observer considers that this is “an important development” in the “PRODAC affair”.
He announces that an accountant has been appointed by an investigating judge to ”clarify the gray areas linked to the misappropriation of public funds estimated at more than 682 million CFA francs”.
The newspaper EnQuête reveals ”questionable connections” at Air Sénégal. ”After his outings against the staff of the company which he considers bloated, the general director of Air Senegal is in turn accused of conflict of interest and ‘serious failings’ linked to the management of the company” , declares the same newspaper.
He claims to have tried in vain to contact the person concerned to obtain his version of the facts in question.
”Sangomar exceeds expectations”, headlines L’As, concerning crude oil production from this field located around a hundred kilometers south of Dakar.
The annual production of crude oil from the Sangomar field amounts to approximately 16.9 million barrels, or 5.2 million barrels more than the quantity initially planned for the year 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Tuesday. Energy, Oil and Mines.
”Flagship of the Senegalese oil industry, Sangomar confirmed in 2024 its central role in the energy landscape,” notes L’As.
Le Quotidien discusses the differences that arose within Pastef, after activists from the ruling party contested the appointments of certain personalities to positions of responsibility.
”What constitutes Pastef’s strength, which led him to power, is becoming his own weakness,” we read in Le Quotidien.
”It’s as if there should be a […] collegial management of the state with the party and […] its activists,” he adds.
A member of the Civil Forum – an independent organization – interviewed about the differences between the country’s authorities and certain activists of their party speaks of a ”crisis of confidence” between the two parties.
”From closing to tearing”
”Not only is diplomacy a reserved domain for the President of the Republic, but the parallelism of the forms would dictate that it is the Senegalese head of state who responds to his French counterpart.” With these words, WalfQuotidien relays a reaction from former Prime Minister Abdoul Mbaye to the comment made by his current successor, Ousmane Sonko, who denied the French president.
According to Emmanuel Macron, France and Senegal have agreed on the closure of French military bases located in Senegalese territory.
Mr. Sonko maintains that the announced departure of soldiers positioned by France in Senegal is a decision sovereignly taken by the Senegalese state.
”From closure to tear,” notes Le Soleil, alluding to the controversy following Senegal’s decision to close foreign military bases in its territory before the end of this year.
Le Soleil points out that ”the pages of the history of the French military presence are being turned”. ”In pain in some cases. As proof, the latest verbal skirmish between certain African states and President Emmanuel Macron,” he observes.
”When Senegal moves backwards”, headline Sud Quotidien, concerning the announced ”rationalization” of the membership of political parties.
He recalls that ”the question of the rationalization of political parties and their financing […] has always come up against almost irreconcilable differences.
”She is an Arlesian of Senegalese political life”, we read in Le Soleil, according to which there are 348 political parties in Senegal.
