The Prime Minister of Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, has accused a senior official from former President Macky Sall’s administration of holding over 1 trillion CFA francs in a bank account, according to Malijet.
Speaking at a campaign event in Thiès, Sonko said the money should be returned to the country.
He reiterated President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s pledge for transparency, saying the new administration plans to hold those involved in financial mismanagement accountable.
Sonko’s accusation follows President Faye’s request to review the country’s financial status thoroughly. He vowed to investigate the “widespread corruption” perpetuated by Sall’s administration, including embezzling public funds, false debt declarations, and the country’s public deficit.
The regime of President Macky Sall lied to the people and partners by falsifying the figures to give an economic image that has nothing to do with reality, he said.
According to audits that were carried out, the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Abdourahmane Sarr, reported that Senegal’s public debt and budget deficit were higher than those published by Sall’s administration.
Sarr said that the average budget deficit was reported at 5.5 per cent of GDP but was 10.4 per cent, while the public debt was published as 65.9 per cent of GDP but reached an actual average of 76.3 per cent.
He reported an additional, undisclosed debt of 1,892 billion CFA francs, attributed to project loans from external sources and local banks, taken out non-transparently.
Sarr said between 2019 and 2023, the Sall-led administration took an average of 593 billion CFA francs in external funds each year that were not counted in the official deficit, along with an average of 179 billion CFA francs in bank loans also excluded from the deficit
Sall, who took office in 2012, had campaigned on promises of democracy, reduced presidential terms, and social justice. However, his administration became controversial as it was linked to financial scandals, as well as a crackdown on civil liberties and economic challenges, including high youth unemployment.
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