Baldé absent from Zig, his assistant sequestrates a journalist

Involved in land concessions, the deputy mayor of Ziguinchor has a journalist kidnapped in the absence of his boss Mayor Abdoulaye Baldé currently in France for a tour …

The town hall of the city of Ziguinchor was the theater of an event worthy of the practices of dictator Amine Dada of Uganda. While being involved in land-grabbing stories, in Ziguinchor commune, the deputy mayor asked to be heard by Kewoulo's reporters. But, undermined by the questions of Babacar Toure who demanded documents to support his remarks, Tahibou Diedhiou, the deputy mayor of Ziguinchor has used his big arms to sequester the journalist … Kewoulo decided to file a complaint this morning. 19659002] Thursday, July 25, 2018. It is 4 pm in the regional capital of Casamance. And in Ziguinchor, the sky is cloudy. In this city with abundant wintering, the rain has temporarily abandoned the populations leaving room for a stormy debate that pollutes the atmosphere in the town.

For several months already, confidences reached the editorial staff of Kewoulo of the sale of land in Ziguinchor. And like a litany, the accusers have always pointed the finger at the first deputy mayor. After the charges, an investigation was opened by Kewoulo's editorial staff. And Mr.Tahibou Diedhiou arrested to provide details on charges against him.

"We were in May and I asked my teams never to put someone in question without him before, given the floor. This is what we did when coming to Ziguinchor to see the mayor. Said Babacar Toure. Contacted last May 7th by Kewoulo's team arrived in Ziguinchor, Tahibou Diédhiou said he was unavailable; because being in Dakar. "But 30 minutes later he called us and made a date at a hotel at night. We declined the proposal to avoid any misunderstanding. "Kewoulo's editor was justified."

After a first missed appointment in May, Kewoulo's team once again came back to collect the testimony of the deputy mayor of Ziguinchor. This time, Tahibou Diédhiou asked the journalist to go to his office. "What we did while coming to his appointment. But, instead of giving us documents that show that everything he did was legal, he spent his time saying that he would be a cabal victim. That enemies were angry with him, "remarked Babacar Toure.

Brought back to the object of the meeting – he had promised to give documents that would show that everything is legal in the procedure – the mayor returns the responsibility to a certain Me Bodian who would be responsible for the domanial in Ziguinchor. As the famous Bodian would be unreachable, Tahibou Diédhiou gave us an appointment in the afternoon.

"As we wanted at any cost to give him the opportunity to defend himself, we returned in the afternoon," he said. said Babacar Toure. While Kewoulo's editor expected to face Mr. Bodian who was to put documents at his disposal, the journalist discovers that regional confreres were in the mayor's office. "I do not know what they came to do, but we'll know soon. "Promised Babacar Toure who filed a criminal complaint this morning before the public prosecutor of Ziguinchor.

As in the morning, the face-to-face meeting between the mayor and the journalist turns against Tahibou Ndiaye arch-butt to his witch hunt defense of which he would be the target. "It was at this moment that we clearly told him that, if we did not have documents that would make him innocent, we would publish those who incriminate him. "Testified Babacar Touré

As if it was the phrase too many, the mayor lost his defense and lost himself in a string of threats: first of all a judicial complaint. Then in invectives and physical threats. As the atmosphere became shady, the journalist decided to leave the office of the mayor.

But, like a frenzied prick, Tahibou Diédhiou got up from his desk and ran directly on the reporter to prevent him to get out. "He grabbed me and with a man who must be his big arm, pressed me against the door to prevent me from going out. The two journalists intervened to prevent the lynching. "He will not leave this office," said Tahibou Diedhiou, and while his bodyguard obstructs the exit of Kewoulo's editor, he locks the door and joins the office.

"That's when I made him understand that the case was turning into a crime of kidnapping. The journalist reminded his jailers. After several minutes of dialogue between the chief jailer and the journalists he had brought, Tahibou Diedhiou agreed to release his hostage. Beforehand, it was very clear and very precise: if you publish even one article about me, I will sue you.