Senegal: Sophie Gladima implicated in the management of the Covid-19 fund
Former Senegalese Minister of Mines, Sophie Gladima, is at the center of a judicial investigation into a possible embezzlement of public funds in the management of the Force Covid-19 fund, set up by the Senegalese government during the pandemic.
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Also the mayor of Joal-Fadiouth, Ms. Gladima is among the five former ministers from Macky Sall’s government targeted by this procedure.
According to reports, two contracts signed during her tenure are in question. The first concerned equipment that was actually delivered. The second, more problematic, involved the construction of a plant in Kédougou. A down payment was allegedly made, but the land intended for the project was unavailable, preventing the project’s execution.
The defense pleads good faith
The accused’s lawyer, Me Antoine Mbengue, assures that the hearing went smoothly and that his client answered the magistrates’ questions “completely and calmly.”
He emphasizes the traceability of the funds and claims it is neither a case of embezzlement nor illicit enrichment but rather a management error. The involved provider has even offered to refund the down payment.
In light of these elements, the defense plans to request the lifting of the detention warrant against the former minister. The expected outcome of the ongoing procedure is either a dismissal or referral to the High Court.
Thus, the Senegalese commission of inquiry will soon have to decide between a dismissal or a referral of Sophie Gladima to the High Court of Justice. Three other former ministers have already been heard in this case. Only the hearing of the former Minister of Justice, Ismaïla Madior Fall, is yet to come.