Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – The investigation into an alleged homosexuality and voluntary HIV transmission case involving television host Pape Cheikh Diallo, singer Djiby Dramé, and their co-accused, Doudou Lamine Dieng, have entered a new phase, with fresh searches carried out and additional suspects placed under scrutiny.
Twelve men, including Diallo and Dramé, were placed under a detention warrant last week on charges of criminal association, money laundering, “acts against nature,” voluntary transmission of HIV/AIDS, and endangering the lives of others. They are currently being held at Rebeuss Prison.
The investigating judge, who ordered their pre-trial detention, has since issued a judicial delegation to the Research Brigade of the Keur Massar Gendarmerie Company to deepen the inquiry.
Prison Extraction and Home Searches
According to Senegalese media reports, gendarmes on Wednesday extracted Pape Cheikh Diallo, Djiby Dramé, and banker Doudou Lamine Dieng from prison as part of the ongoing investigation. New searches were conducted at their respective residences.
During a search at the home of Doudou Lamine Dieng in Nord-Foire, gendarmes reportedly seized various items, including condoms and other gadgets.
However, Pape Cheikh Diallo’s lawyer, Maître Abou Dieng, stated that no incriminating objects were found at his client’s residence in Cité Cheikh Amar. Similarly, no compromising items were reportedly discovered at the home of singer Djiby Dramé.
Following the searches, the three men were returned to Rebeuss Prison, where they remain in custody.
New Suspects and Expanding Probe and Public Health Dimension
The case, which first erupted on February 4 with the arrest of an individual identified as P. Thiam, has continued to widen.
Thiam, reportedly living with HIV, is accused of engaging in multiple unprotected sexual encounters. Investigators’ detailed examination of his mobile phone is said to have significantly broadened the scope of the inquiry.
Senegalese media report that a second phase of the investigation has now been launched, placing 13 additional individuals under the radar of investigators. The Keur Massar Research Brigade has reportedly received a supplementary list of suspects whose arrests have been formally ordered by Prosecutor Saliou Dicko.
Among the newly identified individuals are said to be two prominent figures from the entertainment industry, with their arrests described as imminent.
Beyond the charges related to “acts against nature,” authorities are reportedly placing particular emphasis on allegations of the voluntary transmission of HIV, framing the case as a matter of public health concern.
Investigators are said to be seeking to dismantle what they describe as a network amid fears of further spread of the virus. No comprehensive official statement has yet been issued detailing the full scope of the allegations, as judicial proceedings and investigative actions continue.
