Senegal’s Ex-Minister Mansour Faye Accused of Embezzling $4.6 Million in Covid Funds

Amadou Mansour Faye, a former Senegalese minister of community development and current mayor of Saint-Louis, has been accused of embezzling over $4.6 million in public funds, according to findings released in a parliamentary report.

The accusations stem from alleged financial mismanagement of Covid-19 relief funds during his tenure in government. The case has been taken up by Senegal’s High Court of Justice, a special judicial body empowered to try former public officials for crimes committed during their time in office.

Faye, who is also a brother-in-law of former President Macky Sall, has rejected the allegations. His legal team, led by lawyer Amadou Sall, has described the accusations as politically motivated harassment.

"If, today, [Amadou Mansour Faye] is being held for this offense, there is absolutely no doubt that it is a political commission. He is in no way involved and has demonstrated that," Amadou Sall told reporters in Dakar.

Defence Argument: No Role in Procurement

According to his lawyers, Faye cannot be held liable for any possible overpricing in the procurement of rice intended for Covid relief, asserting that he was not a member of the procurement commission that selected the supplier.

Despite these claims, the High Court’s investigating commission denied Faye’s bail request, moving forward with the inquiry to determine whether he should be formally prosecuted.

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Growing List of Indictments

Faye is the fifth former minister from the administration of Macky Sall to be indicted by the High Court. He is also the third to be detained after his indictment.

Other former ministers facing legal action include:

• Moustapha Diop, ex-Minister for Industrial Development, detained on 22 May for allegedly misappropriating $4 million from Covid-19 response funds.

• Aissatou Sophie Gladima, former Minister of Mines, remanded last week for allegedly embezzling $330,000 from a miners’ relief fund.

A sixth former minister is also under investigation, with details yet to be made public.

Political Implications and Tensions

The accusations come amid heightened political tensions between the current administration, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, and the former ruling party of Macky Sall, APR.

While the current government insists on justice system independence, critics from Macky Sall’s camp label the prosecutions as political witch-hunts aimed at neutralizing opposition figures.

Political analyst Mamadou Lamine Sarr commented on the escalating scandal, saying:

“This Covid fund scandal has already become one of the biggest in Senegal’s political history… It wouldn’t be surprising if more former officials are investigated soon.”

He highlighted the public frustration, especially considering how hospitals lacked essential supplies during the pandemic, while funds may have been misappropriated.

Awaiting Verdicts

As the High Court continues its investigations, all eyes in Senegal remain on the unfolding legal saga that could reshape the country’s political landscape.