Gambiaj.com – (DAKAR, Senegal) – Senegalese music star Waly Seck has suspended his musical career after being caught up in the widening financial scandal linked to suspicious transactions allegedly tied to the entourage of former President Macky Sall. According to the Senegalese media, the deputy financial prosecutor has requested Seck’s indictment and his placement under a detention order, alongside several high-profile figures.
Those targeted include Ibrahima Bâ, son of former Prime Minister Amadou Bâ, his father’s chauffeur Cheikh Tidiane Seck, and former Energy Minister Samuel Sarr, who is already in prison over the West African Energy (WAE) affair. Others cited are Mamadou Sy, Saliou Sylla, and Babacar Niang.
The prosecutor is pursuing them on charges of criminal association within an organized group and money laundering, citing a supplementary report by Senegal’s financial intelligence unit, Centif. The report, received in March, traced suspicious transactions exceeding 125 billion CFA francs and has already led to the imprisonment of figures such as Farba Ngom and Tahirou Sarr.
Seck and Mamadou Sy are suspected of benefiting from some of the questionable fund transfers, while Samuel Sarr is accused of being involved in transactions, including one involving a 200 million CFA franc cheque. Ibrahima Bâ is allegedly linked through front companies, notably the SCI-CTS, which investigators say was partly financed through the sale of a property worth 400 million CFA francs.
Centif’s findings also spotlight businessman Saliou Sylla, who is accused of cashing cheques amounting to nearly 5.6 billion CFA francs without clear economic justification.
The prosecutor’s supplementary requisition not only calls for the defendants’ indictment and detention but also seeks a conservatory seizure of their identified assets. Meanwhile, Amadou Sall, the former president’s son and considered a central figure in the case, was summoned to appear before the financial judicial unit on Wednesday. However, reports suggest he is currently in the United States and unlikely to respond to the summons.
Waly Seck, one of Senegal’s most celebrated musicians, announced he was stepping away from his career while the legal process unfolds, a move that underscores the gravity of the case.
