A former minister in Senegal has been jailed on charges of extortion, embezzlement, and money laundering during his time as head of the national lottery.
Lat Diop led the national lottery from 2020 and later served as sports minister from 2023 to 2024 under ex-president Macky Sall.
He is the first former government minister to be detained by the new authorities, who took office in April.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko have consistently emphasized their commitment to holding the previous administration accountable.
Diop was jailed on Thursday, the same day Sonko pledged to investigate what he described as “widespread corruption” during the former regime.
Diop is being questioned in his capacity as the former head of the national lottery, not as a minister, his lawyer El Hadji Diouf stated, adding that his client denies the charges.
“The three offenses in question are baseless,” Diouf said, noting that he would request the cancellation of the proceedings.
According to his lawyer, Diop is the first former senior official to be detained under a new financial judicial mechanism that was launched this month.
The judicial body comprises specialized magistrates and investigators aimed at addressing financial crime and corruption and was established by the previous authorities.
Diouf stated that the charges against his client are based solely on statements made by a former head of an online sports betting company that partnered with the national lottery.
According to press reports, the latter claimed during the hearings that he had given Diop five billion CFA francs ($8.5 million), a claim that Diop disputes.
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