Senegal’s campaign against corruption under the leadership of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has intensified with the indictment of Amadou Mansour Faye, a former Minister of Community Development and brother-in-law to ex-President Macky Sall. The charges allege that Faye embezzled more than $4.6 million in public funds.
The indictment was issued on Monday by the High Court of Justice, a specialized body responsible for prosecuting former government officials for misconduct committed while in office. According to his legal counsel, Amadou Sall, the court denied Faye bail and ordered his immediate detention.
Faye becomes the fifth high-ranking official from the previous administration to face charges since the new government took office. His case is the latest in a series of legal actions that reflect President Faye’s anti-corruption agenda, which was a central promise of his electoral campaign centered on transparency and accountability.
Just days earlier, the same court ordered the detention of two other former ministers. Moustapha Diop, who previously held the industrial development portfolio, is accused of misappropriating approximately $4 million from Senegal’s Covid-19 relief fund. Additionally, Aissatou Sophie Gladima, former minister of mines, faces allegations of diverting $330,000 from a fund established to support miners affected by the pandemic.
These charges are based on findings from a parliamentary investigation that exposed widespread financial misconduct under the previous administration. The wave of indictments has highlighted the current government’s determination to address high-level corruption, although some critics argue the prosecutions may carry political undertones.
Nevertheless, President Faye’s administration maintains its position, affirming that accountability must prevail regardless of political status. The government has reiterated that “no one is above the law” and emphasized the necessity of protecting public resources to ensure sustainable national development.
