Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – A Dakar appeals court has overturned the decision to refer former Senegalese Minister of Energy Samuel Amète Sarr to a criminal court, effectively halting key aspects of the high-profile West Africa Energy case in which he had been remanded in custody.
The ruling was delivered on January 27, 2026, by the Indictment Chamber of the Dakar Court of Appeal, sitting in public session.
According to one of Sarr’s lawyers, Me Baboucar Cissé, the court annulled the referral order that would have sent his client before the police correctional court, as well as the related soit-communiqué order issued during the investigation.
The annulled order had been issued by Makha Barry, the investigating judge of the second chamber of the Dakar High Court, following an inquiry opened against Samuel Amète Sarr in connection with the West Africa Energy affair.
After being seized by the defence, the Indictment Chamber found that the legal conditions required for such a referral had not been met, leading to the cancellation of all the contested procedural acts.
The decision has been welcomed by Sarr and his legal team as a major legal victory. Since the start of the proceedings, the former energy minister has consistently denied the allegations against him and maintained his innocence.
His lawyers had repeatedly raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the conduct of the investigation, arguing that the process lacked objectivity.
Conversely, the ruling represents a significant setback for the civil parties in the case, including Moustapha Ndiaye and others, as well as for the judicial investigation led by the examining magistrate.
The defense had previously accused the investigating judge of undue persistence and bias in handling the file—claims that now appear to have found partial resonance at the appellate level.
While the ruling brings relief to Samuel Amète Sarr, it remains to be seen whether prosecutors or civil parties will pursue further legal avenues as the broader West Africa Energy case continues to attract public and legal scrutiny in Senegal.
