The Minister of Justice, Ousmane Diagne, returned this morning to the case involving MP Farba Ngom, emphasizing the strict compliance of the procedure with Senegalese law. Questioned after a national conference of chief prosecutors focused on “the revitalization of sentence enforcement offices and the problem of prison overcrowding”the minister wanted to clarify the role of the ministry in this matter.
The Farba Ngom affair finds its origins in a report from the National Financial Information Processing Unit (CENTIF). This report, concerning suspicions of money laundering, was directly transmitted to the public prosecutor. Ousmane Diagne insists on this point: “The authority that I represent has absolutely nothing to do with it. » It also recalls the legal obligations of the prosecutor, stipulated by the 2004 law on money laundering: “Moreover, under the 2004 law on money laundering, the public prosecutor has a legal obligation to refer the matter to the investigating judge.”
The Minister of Justice recognizes that Farba Ngom’s status as deputy implies specific procedural constraints, in particular the lifting of his parliamentary immunity. However, he emphasizes that these constraints are inherent to the function of the accused and in no way constitute a favor or an attempt to obstruct justice. “In this case, it is the quality of the person accused, in particular Farba Ngom, which obviously leads to these procedural constraints which we strive to respect precisely to preserve this legality which concerns us so much,” declared Ousmane Diagne.
Finally, the Minister of Justice reaffirmed his attachment to the independence of justice. He specifies that his ministry does not have to comment on the guilt or innocence of Farba Ngom. “I would like to point out that we do not have to say that Farba Ngom is at fault or not. It is the investigating judge who is responsible for this and we are required to accept the decision he makes,” he concluded. It is therefore now up to the investigating judge, referred to by the prosecutor, to carry out the necessary investigations and determine the follow-up to be given to this case, in compliance with the law and procedures in force.
