Senegalese President rejects allegations of corruption as "destabilization" attempt

In a BBC investigation, Senegalese President Macky Sall on Wednesday rejected accusations of corruption made against his brother. It was an attempt to destabilize a country in the hope of making the most of the fossil fuel reserves recently discovered.

"We know that where there is oil, some will try to destabilize the country," said Sall during the prayer to mark the end of Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

He promised the government to continue the affair by adding, "I want the truth to be restored".

Requiring proof of the BBC's allegations, he swore that "If we are to punish, we will punish.

"However, we will not accept false accusations."

Sunday, the British broadcaster said that Aliou Sall, a brother of the president, had benefited from lucrative deals in the gas sector. The brother denied the charges and said he would take legal action against the BBC.

The president on Wednesday insisted "no country has taken so many precautions to avoid the resource traps that will be exploited in the years to come".

In 2012, the newly elected President, Sall, confirmed the decision of his predecessor, Abdoulaye Wade, to award the rights to operate two offshore oil and gas fields to the Timis Corporation, controlled by a man Australian-Romanian businessman, Frank Timis.

The BBC, in a report broadcast in its Panorama and Africa Eye programs, said that two years later, Timis Corporation was secretly paying a "bonus" of $ 250,000 (222,000 euros) to Agritrans, a company controlled by Aliou Sall.

Legislator Ousmane Sonko, who lost in the February elections and brought Macky Sall back to power, said on Wednesday that he was "stunned" by the president's response to the claims he described as "high". treason".

"Every time, the strategy is to divert attention by hiding loosely behind the argument of alleged manipulation by opponents or an attempt by dark forces to destabilize our country," did he declare.

At its inauguration in April, Sall called for optimism because "it looks like new economic opportunities are opening up for our country", in reference to Senegal's plan to enter the sector of the economy. hydrocarbons in 2021-2022 via two oil and gas developments.