MP Guy Marius Sagna is stepping up to denounce suspicious practices at the port of Ziguinchor and at the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Ziguinchor (CCIAZ). In a press release published this Sunday, he points to financial embezzlement, blatant conflicts of interest, as well as statistical manipulations which could compromise the management of these vital structures for the region. A parliamentary commission of inquiry is called for to shed light on these accusations.
Here is the full statement from Guy Marius Sagna:
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I submitted a written question and a proposal to set up a parliamentary commission of inquiry relating to the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Ziguinchor and the port of Ziguinchor.
Through a written question, I questioned the government of Senegal on the serious financial embezzlement, illegal invoicing and fraud on statistics at the port of Ziguinchor and conflicts of interest at the chamber of commerce, industry and agriculture of Ziguinchor, two important structures for our country.
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The Ziguinchor Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (CCIAZ) will sink the port of Ziguinchor, which it operates if nothing is done.
As part of the 2024 cashew campaign at the port of Ziguinchor, there were discrepancies in weighings concerning store entries with lack of supporting documentation.
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To this must be added a discrepancy of nearly 88 containers worth four million CFA francs without any explanation.
Amounts owed to the Ziguinchor Chamber of Commerce by companies represent at least 50% of the total amount.
At the port of Ziguinchor, fraudulent invoicing is taking place with the use of at least two types of ticket books alongside official tickets.
Biased statistics are given to the Ziguinchor regional trade service by the chamber of commerce because of manipulation of figures to hide financial embezzlement.
From 2014 to 2024 (eight years), the Ziguinchor Chamber of Commerce paid the Kadiandoumagne Hotel in Ziguinchor at least 150 million CFA francs, including more than 79 million CFA francs in accommodation and catering, and a section entitled “ various hotel” amounting to more than 32 million CFA francs. It is important to specify that the president of the chamber of commerce is the manager of the Kadiandoumagne hotel. We are therefore in a blatant conflict of interest. The president of the Ziguinchor Chamber of Commerce invites anyone he wants to his hotel, the Kadiandoumagne, without terms of reference (TOR) or mission order, at the expense of the Ziguinchor Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture .
At the same time, more than half of the staff of the Ziguinchor Chamber of Commerce have precarious status and the chamber owes 30 million CFA francs in social obligations to IPRES and the Social Security Fund for its employees.
This is why I proposed to the government:
- a verification mission as soon as possible relating to the 2024 cashew campaign;
- to provide the Ziguinchor Chamber of Commerce with a procedures manual;
- the structural reorganization of the operation department of the port of Ziguinchor;
- as well as all other appropriate and urgent measures.
After calling on the government, I asked the National Assembly of Senegal to set up a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the dangerous management acts committed at the port of Ziguinchor to answer the following questions:
- Has there been financial embezzlement at the port of Ziguinchor?
- Have there been parallel billings at the port of Ziguinchor?
- Are the statistics relating to the port of Ziguinchor given to the Ziguinchor regional trade service by the Ziguinchor chamber of commerce, agriculture and industry manipulated?
- Is the Ziguinchor port recovery policy optimal, good?
- Does the port of Dakar sufficiently support the port of Ziguinchor?
GMS
