Senegal’s corruption probe deepens with indictment of fifth ex-minister

Senegal’s sweeping anti-corruption campaign has reached a new milestone as former community development minister Amadou Mansour Faye becomes the fifth top official from the previous government to be indicted.

The High Court of Justice, a special tribunal established to try ex-officials, charged Faye with embezzling over $4.6 million in public funds and ordered his immediate detention. Faye, who is also the brother-in-law of former President Macky Sall, now joins a growing list of former cabinet members under scrutiny. His indictment follows the recent arrests of ex-industrial development minister Moustapha Diop and former mines minister Aissatou Sophie Gladima. Diop is accused of misappropriating $4 million from Senegal’s Covid-19 relief fund, while Gladima allegedly diverted $330,000 intended to support pandemic-affected miners.

These charges stem from a parliamentary inquiry revealing widespread financial mismanagement during the Sall administration. The Faye administration, led by newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, has pledged to restore integrity in governance, positioning transparency and accountability as cornerstones of national development. While critics warn of potential political overreach, public sentiment appears largely supportive of the campaign. But President Faye has remained firm, asserting that no individual is above the law. The ongoing prosecutions are seen as a defining test of his promise to clean up Senegal’s public sector and rebuild trust in its institutions.