By Emmanuel Egobiambu

A minister in Senegal’s former government has been jailed on charges of extortion, embezzlement and money laundering during his previous role as head of the national lottery, his lawyer told AFP Friday.

Lat Diop headed the national lottery from 2020 and then served as sports minister from 2023 to 2024 under ex-president Macky Sall.

He is the first former government minister to be detained under the new authorities, who took office in April.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko have repeatedly said they will seek accountability from the previous administration.

Diop was jailed late Thursday, the same day Sonko vowed investigations into what he termed “widespread corruption” under the former authorities.

Diop is being questioned as the ex-national lottery head, not as a minister, his lawyer El Hadji Diouf said, adding that his client denied the charges.

“The three offences in question do not exist,” Diouf said, adding he would be asking for the proceedings to be cancelled.

Diop is the first former senior official to be detained by a new financial judicial mechanism launched this month, his lawyer said.

The judicial body brings together specialised magistrates and investigators to tackle financial crime and corruption and was created by the former authorities.

Diouf said the charges against his client were based solely on statements made by a former boss of an online sports betting company, partnered with the national lottery.

According to press reports, the latter said during the hearings that he had given five billion CFA francs ($8.5 million) to Diop, which he disputes.

AFP

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