A former minister in Senegal, Lat Diop has been jailed on charges of extortion, embezzlement, and money laundering linked to his previous role as head of the national lottery.
Diop, who led the national lottery from 2020 and served as sports minister from 2023 to 2024 under former president Macky Sall, is the first ex-minister to be detained by the new authorities that took office in April.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko have pledged to hold the previous administration accountable.
Diop was incarcerated late Thursday, coinciding with Sonko’s announcement of investigations into what he described as “widespread corruption” under the former regime.
According to Diop’s lawyer, El Hadji Diouf, his client is being questioned as the former head of the national lottery, not as a minister, and he denies the charges.
“The three offences in question do not exist,” Diouf stated, adding that he would seek to have the proceedings dismissed.
Diop is the first high-ranking official to be detained by a new financial judicial mechanism established this month, which combines specialised magistrates and investigators to address financial crimes and corruption—a system created by the previous administration.
Diouf contended that the charges against Diop are based solely on claims made by a former executive of an online sports betting company partnered with the national lottery.
Reports indicate that this individual testified that he had given Diop five billion CFA francs ($8.5 million), a claim that Diop disputes.
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