On June 17, 2024, Tabaski Day, the Seneweb site reported that a former detainee pardoned by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had killed a young tailor in Yeumbeul. This presidential pardon, the new president’s first major decision, sparked debate following the tragic events that occurred the same day.
Seneweb described an altercation that degenerated into tragedy, where a former inmate allegedly killed a 15-year-old tailor. The suspect, arrested by the police under the direction of Commissioner Diamé Yaré Fall, was pardoned on the eve of the Tabaski festival. According to the media, Mr. Thiaw, 25, a driver, recently released, quickly returned to criminal behavior, leading to the tragic death of the young tailor.
However, on June 21, 2024, the Ministry of Justice issued a statement denying these reports. The ministry specifies that no individual named Mr. Thiaw appears on the presidential pardon decree. The press release states that press reports concerning a murder committed by a pardoned man named Mr. Thiaw are unfounded.
The Senego editorial team, after checking the official decree published by the presidency under number 2024-1184/PR, found a name corresponding to Mr. Thiaw in the list of people who benefited from the presidential pardon. The ministry having only mentioned the last name and the first letter of the first name, questions remain as to whether the Mr. Thiaw on the list is the same as the one mentioned by Seneweb. Additionally, the person on the list is the same age as the one mentioned by the site. The only aspect that does not match is the individual’s profession: the document indicates that he is a dockworker, while Seneweb speaks of a driver.
Further clarification is needed to determine whether the pardonee mentioned in the Seneweb article and the official document are the same person, or whether an error has crept in somewhere.
