Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, has promised thorough investigations into the “generalized corruption” he claims thrived under the former regime led by President Macky Sall, accusing it of manipulating public finance data and concealing the true state of the economy.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Sonko criticized the Sall administration’s approach to debt, accusing it of fostering corruption. “The unbridled debt policy followed under President Macky Sall led to the non-transparent use of resources and widespread corruption,” Sonko said, pointing to a “methodology for mass embezzlement of public funds.”

In a detailed breakdown of the financial state inherited by the current administration, Sonko expressed shock at the extent of economic mismanagement. “We were far from imagining that things were so catastrophic,” he said. The Prime Minister accused the previous authorities of falsifying financial figures, including those presented to international partners, to create a false impression of economic stability. He specifically cited discrepancies in the national debt, which had been reported at 13,000 billion CFA francs but, according to Sonko, actually stood at 15,000 billion CFA francs, or roughly 83% of Senegal’s GDP.

“The Macky Sall regime lied to the people, lied to partners, and fiddled with the figures to present an economic and financial image that has nothing to do with reality,” Sonko asserted, adding that key figures in Sall’s administration would need to answer for their actions. He named former Finance Ministers Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo and Mamadou Moustapha Ba, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, and ex-President Macky Sall as officials who “could not ignore these practices” and would be expected to explain how Senegal’s finances were allowed to deteriorate so significantly.

Sonko’s revelations come at a critical time, as Senegal prepares for parliamentary elections on November 17. To secure a path for legislative reforms, President Amadou Faye recently dissolved the National Assembly, which had been dominated by Sall’s supporters.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had already raised concerns in September about Senegal’s deteriorating fiscal position, predicting a tough economic outlook for 2024. The IMF advised the government to take “strong measures” to address the country’s financial challenges.

Sonko highlighted troubling findings from recent audits, which revealed mismanagement in public spending and raised concerns about the effectiveness of past expenditures. “The findings of these audits highlight the mismanagement in spending both in their choice and in their effectiveness and impact,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the former government’s actions had led to “slippages in the management of public finances, favored by bad governance, corruption, and the monopolization of public resources by private individuals.”

The Prime Minister expressed particular outrage over the discovery that more than 2,500 billion CFA francs had been spent under the guise of “defense secrecy,” allowing high-ranking officials in the Sall administration to enrich themselves without scrutiny. “Moustapha Ba, Amadou Ba, Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo, and President Macky Sall will have to explain themselves to the Senegalese people,” Sonko insisted.

Despite the grim financial revelations, Sonko remains optimistic about Senegal’s future. “The situation is certainly not rosy, but it is not irrecoverable for all that,” he reassured the public.

Minister of Justice Ousmane Diagne promises punishment

The Minister of Justice, Ousmane Diagne, echoed Sonko’s call for accountability, vowing that those responsible for the financial mismanagement would face justice. “These facts are of certain seriousness and seem to have a criminal qualification that the competent judicial authorities will have to determine through appropriate investigations,” Diagne stated.

While the Minister emphasized the separation of powers, insisting it was not his role to judge the effectiveness of the allegations, he promised rigorous legal action. “It will be done with maximum rigor, transparency, and respect for the presumption of innocence,” Diagne said, adding that all those found guilty of criminal acts would face the full force of the law. “All legal consequences will be rigorously drawn, the facts dissected in a particularly transparent, clear, and objective manner, responsibilities located. All individuals likely to have committed acts in violation of criminal law will suffer all the consequences,” the Justice Minister assured.

With Senegal’s political landscape shifting and economic challenges mounting, Prime Minister Sonko’s vow to investigate and hold those responsible accountable marks a crucial moment for the country’s governance and public trust.