Gambiaj.com – (Dakar, Senegal) – Mansour Faye, former Minister and brother-in-law of ex-President Macky Sall, has been placed in custody following a decision by the High Court of Justice’s investigation committee—despite multiple legal appeals by his defense team. The arrest marks a significant development in a high-profile corruption probe linked to the COVID-19 economic resilience program.

Faye, who also serves as the mayor of Saint-Louis, faces accusations related to alleged irregularities in a government rice procurement contract. However, his lawyers contend that he bears no responsibility in the matter and describe the legal proceedings against him as politically motivated.

On May 8, the Senegalese National Assembly examined and adopted a resolution to refer the current Mayor of Saint-Louis to the High Court of Justice.

He is suspected of embezzlement of public funds, fraud involving public finances, and money laundering in connection with the management of COVID-19 relief funds.

The provisional financial loss is estimated at 2.749 billion CFA francs.

During a press conference held on Monday, May 26, Faye’s attorneys voiced deep frustration over the rejection of all three legal recourses they filed in a bid to prevent his imprisonment.

“We have the unpleasant feeling that we were not listened to,” one of the lawyers stated. “If we were listened to, we were not heard. If we were heard, we were not understood.”

The first appeal involved a formal protest disputing the basis of the accusations. “We filed a request at the end of a serious protest,” said the legal team, noting that they will release the document to the press to ensure transparency.

The second appeal was a bond offer whose amount remains undisclosed. “We made a deposit offer. It was rejected,” the lawyers confirmed, declining to reveal the sum despite repeated questions from journalists.

In their final attempt, Faye’s attorneys challenged the constitutionality of the law under which he is being prosecuted. That request, too, was dismissed.

The defense claims that Faye was neither a member of the procurement commission nor involved in awarding the contract in question. They emphasize that the rice procurement process was conducted through a public tender involving 30 bidders, with the Ministry of Commerce validating the price of 275 CFA francs per kilogram.

“He had no interest in the market or anything related to it,” said the lawyers, insisting the charges are “political reproaches” driven by an “assembly of politicians.”

In an unusual move, Faye’s legal team announced their decision to make all legal documentation available to the media. “We want the public to have access to the facts and see that our client is innocent,” they declared.

The case has further intensified the political atmosphere in Senegal, with supporters of the former minister viewing his prosecution as part of a broader crackdown on allies of the former administration.