Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Judge El Hadj Issa Ndiaye, who found then Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko guilty of youth corruption on June 1, 2023, in his case with Adji Sarr, has been demoted and reassigned to Tambacounda, a remote region in eastern Senegal.

This decision was formalized during a meeting of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) on Friday, presided over by Bassirou Diomaye Faye at the Presidential Palace in Dakar.

Judge Ndiaye, previously a prominent figure at the High Court of Dakar, has now been downgraded to the status of counsel at the Court of Appeal in Tambacounda. His replacement at the High Court of Dakar is Judge Abdoul Aziz Diallo, who notably ruled in favor of Sonko in a separate case involving his voter registration admission.

The reshuffle also affected Oumar Maham Diallo, another judge, who indicted Ousmane Sonko in the case with Adji Sarr, the former Sweet Beauté masseuse. This judge has also been transferred to Tambacounda, where he will preside over the Court of Appeal in that jurisdiction.

In the same CSM meeting, Judge Sabassy Faye, who previously served as the President of the District Court of Ziguinchor and ruled against canceling Sonko’s voter registration, was promoted to the position of President of the High Court of Fatick. This promotion contrasts sharply with the demotion of judges involved in the Sonko case with Adji Sarr.

These judicial appointments and demotions have raised eyebrows, with many seeing them as retributions, particularly given the high-profile nature of the cases involved.

Moreover, the CSM, under the leadership of President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, also appointed members of the newly established Financial Judicial Pool (PIJ), a specialized body created to combat state embezzlement and economic crimes. Henriette Diop Tall has been appointed President of this jurisdiction, based at the High Court of Dakar.

The PIJ, which includes a prosecution office, investigating judges, a financial trial chamber, and a financial indictment chamber, is expected to summon several collaborators and aides of former President Macky Sall in the near future.

The demotion of Judge Ndiaye and the reassignment of other judges involved in the Sonko case have sparked speculation about the motivations behind these changes, with some questioning whether the judiciary is being manipulated for political purposes.

As Senegal continues to navigate its complex political landscape, these developments are likely to further intensify the ongoing debates surrounding justice and governance in the country.