Justice Minister Ousmane Diagne discovers a scandal worth more than 80 billion CFA francs

The report of the auditors, which was sent to the goalkeeper of the Seals, the Minister of Justice Ousmane Diagne, about the examination of the report on the state of public finances for 2019-2024, hide a scandal of considerable size.

It happened in January 2022 when the finance minister signed a credit agreement with the International Business (IB) Bank Togo and the International Business (IB) Bank Burkina Faso on behalf of the state of Senegal. This contract consisted of an amount of 91,942,400,000 FCFA, which were allegedly intended for the acquisition of devices for the Senegal state, without details on the type of equipment specified.

→ Read too: Tahirou Sarr offers over 400 billion FCFA to avoid prison

According to L'Boundateur, the total amount of the loan, including interest, 105.052.249.080 FCFA, is in quarterly installments by December 31, 2026. In accordance with the provisions of the agreement, the funds should be mobilized in a Senegalese state account in which “TG 024-01030-026631500101-17” opened in the books of IB Bank Togo. As part of this operation, the state paid various commissions in the amount of 919,424,000 FCFA via the deposit account “CAP Governement”.

The auditing court found several major irregularities: a lack of information about the type and destination of the equipment to be acquired, a contractual debt of public debt outside of regulatory procedures, the proceeds of the loan to the accounts of the Ministry of Finance and finally repaid by the finance ministry, which in the books, not to 80.041.7776 FCF, were not recorded.

→ Read too: Senegal: Minister of Justice promises accountability for deaths during the protests

This last point, which was also reported by L'Boundateur, raises serious questions about the traceability of public funds in such an opaque operation. This affair, which has already been reported in several studies by L'Boundateur, once again underlines the failures of public debt management system in Senegal.

→ Read too: Argentina orders the arrest of 61 Brazilians connected to Brazil's riots