Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – A major criminal investigation has been launched into alleged large-scale customs and tax fraud at the early phase of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas exploitation project, involving U.S. energy contractor McDermott and its Senegalese logistics partners.
The Senegalese Financial Prosecutor’s Office has instructed the Criminal Investigations Division (DIC) to open a probe into McDermott, along with OMA Senegal SA and OMA Logistics SA, over serious violations including tax fraud, non-compliance with contractual obligations, unauthorized exportation, and failure to present goods under customs control.
According to details obtained by Libération, which first reported the development, the allegations stem from a complaint filed by Senegalese Customs.
The complaint focuses on a contract McDermott signed with the two OMA companies to manage customs procedures for ten ships chartered to support operations in the GTA gas project—a major offshore venture spanning Senegal and Mauritania’s maritime boundary.
Under that contract, six of the ten vessels received exceptional temporary admission to operate exclusively within Senegal’s Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ).
However, Customs officials allege that all six vessels exited Senegalese waters without notifying the proper authorities, a direct breach of customs protocols.
Worse still, the remaining four vessels never physically entered Senegalese territory despite also being granted temporary admissions—raising suspicions that their import status may have been misrepresented or abused.
“This constitutes a customs offense under the Senegalese Customs Code,” the report notes, describing the actions as both fraudulent and criminal in nature.
The financial damage to the state is staggering. Customs estimates the total loss at 845.051 billion CFA francs—approximately US$1.4 billion—a potential record in customs-related fraud involving multinational actors operating within Senegal’s critical energy sector.
This scandal threatens to cast a shadow over the GTA gas project, which has been hailed as one of West Africa’s most promising energy ventures.
The project, a joint undertaking involving BP and Kosmos Energy, aims to tap into one of the continent’s largest offshore natural gas fields. The involvement of major international contractors like McDermott was seen as key to fast-tracking operations and building investor confidence.
Now, the investigation is likely to intensify scrutiny on the oversight and regulatory gaps that may have enabled such alleged fraud at such an early stage. Legal experts say the case could lead to serious penalties, including sanctions, contract cancellations, and even criminal prosecutions, if wrongdoing is confirmed.
No public statement has yet been made by McDermott or its partners regarding the accusations. Meanwhile, authorities have not ruled out further investigations into other potential actors or systemic vulnerabilities within Senegal’s customs and port management systems.
As the GTA project edges closer to its production phase, the revelations risk undermining public trust in the government’s ability to manage large-scale energy projects with integrity and accountability.
