The Senegalese government has announced possible legal action against those implicated in serious financial mismanagement under former President Macky Sall, following a damning Audit Office report released this week.
The independent audit, covering Sall’s last term from 2019 to 2024, uncovered major discrepancies in public accounts, including hidden debt, budget manipulation, and irregular banking practices.
At a press conference in Dakar, Justice Minister Ousmane Diagne stated that the findings could lead to criminal penalties, including charges of forgery, misappropriation of public funds, money laundering, and illicit enrichment.
Senegal’s 2023 budget deficit was 12.3%, more than double the 4.9% claimed by Sall’s government.
Total government debt reached nearly 100% of GDP, far higher than officially reported.
Unrecorded bank debts, financing anomalies, and missing state deposits were found.
The Audit Office warned that these discrepancies may constitute criminal offences.
The allegations echo past accusations by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who last year claimed that Sall’s government manipulated public finances.
Newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who took office in March, campaigned on economic reform and anti-corruption, raising expectations among young Senegalese struggling with high inflation and unemployment.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), which suspended its aid programme to Senegal pending the audit, has since welcomed the findings, praising the government’s commitment to transparency.
