Former Senegalese Minister Lat Diop Jailed on Corruption Charges

Lat Diop, a former minister in Senegal’s previous government, has been jailed on charges of extortion, embezzlement, and money laundering related to his tenure as head of the national lottery, his lawyer confirmed to reporters on Friday.

Diop, who led the national lottery from 2020 before serving as sports minister from 2023 to 2024 under former President Macky Sall, was detained late Thursday.

His arrest marks the first high-profile detention by the new administration led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, who have vowed to hold officials from the previous government accountable for alleged corruption.

Diop’s lawyer, El Hadji Diouf, emphasised that his client is being investigated for actions related to his role as head of the national lottery, not as a former minister.

Diouf denied all charges against Diop, stating that “the three offences in question do not exist” and that he would seek to have the proceedings against his client dismissed.

The charges stem from accusations made by a former executive of an online sports betting company that had partnered with the national lottery.

According to press reports, the executive alleged during a hearing that he had given Diop five billion CFA francs ($8.5 million), a claim that Diop vehemently denies.

Diop is the first high-ranking former official to be detained by a newly launched financial judicial body, which was set up to combat financial crime and corruption.

Ironically, the mechanism was established by the previous government of Macky Sall. The judicial body, comprising specialised magistrates and investigators, is part of broader efforts by the Faye administration to root out what Prime Minister Sonko has called “widespread corruption” in the former government.

Recall President Faye had dissolved the opposition-dominated parliament on September 12, citing difficulty passing key bills. In a televised address following the dissolution, Faye emphasised the need for a new mandate from the people to push forward his systemic transformation agenda.

However, Senegal’s two former ruling parties announced they have joined forces ahead of the snap legislative election scheduled for November 17.

The Alliance for the Republic (APR) party of ex-president Macky Sall and the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) of former president Abdoulaye Wade announced their coalition on Sunday, a direct challenge to Faye’s administration. 

However, Diop’s legal team has argued that the case is politically motivated based solely on unsubstantiated claims.

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