Authorities in Senegal have launched investigations into five former ministers from the administration of ex-President Macky Sall over suspected irregularities in the management of the country’s COVID-19 response fund.
During a press briefing on Thursday, top legal officials, including the Attorney General at the Dakar Court of Appeal and prosecutors from the Dakar High Court, provided updates on the legal actions linked to the alleged mismanagement of public funds.
Attorney General Mbacké Fall stated that the investigations stem from findings by the Court of Auditors, which raised concerns about misuse and poor handling of resources allocated for the pandemic.
The inquiries have revealed strong evidence pointing to misappropriation and financial mismanagement,” said Fall. He further explained that the files related to the five ministers have been submitted to the National Assembly, as parliamentary approval is required for their cases to proceed before the High Court of Justice.
While the officials did not disclose the names of the individuals involved, the accusations include unauthorised spending, diversion of funds meant for purchasing medical supplies, and inflating prices for equipment. These issues were highlighted in an audit report covering financial activities from 2019 and 2020, which was made public in 2022.
The Senegalese government had allocated One Trillion CFA francs (approximately 1.734 billion USD) to support its COVID-19 response, focusing on health services and economic resilience.
© WAVN