The Senegalese National Assembly has officially announced the suspension of the parliamentary commission of inquiry into allegations of corruption against two judges of the Constitutional Council. The commission, which had not yet commenced its work, was established following a resolution proposed by the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS) and adopted by deputies on January 31.

The commission was tasked with investigating accusations of corruption and collusion with politicians, including Amadou Ba, brought against judges Cheikh Tidiane Coulibaly and Cheikh Ndiaye by Karim Wade and others. However, the suspension comes following a letter from the Minister of Justice informing the President of the National Assembly of the opening of a judicial investigation into the matter.

The suspension of the commission has raised questions, as it was a key reason cited by President Macky Sall for his decision to postpone the presidential election originally scheduled for February 25. The Constitutional Council recently deemed the presidential decree postponing the election “illegal” and called for the elections to be held before the end of Sall’s mandate on April 2.

The suspension of the commission and the subsequent legal challenges to the election postponement highlight the ongoing political tensions and controversies surrounding the judiciary and elections in Senegal.