Senegal: Former National Assembly Chair Arrested

UNCLAS DAKAR 000111

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PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

TAGS: PGOV PREL PINS KDEM ECON SG
SUBJECT: Senegal: Former National Assembly Chair Arrested

REF: Dakar 08 1401


1. (SBU) Summary: On January 26, The Minister of Interior, Cheikh
Tidiane Sy, issued a press release accusing former Prime Minister
Macky Sall of money laundering. Subsequently, Sall was ordered to
appear in the central police station to be taken into custody. Sall
resigned a couple of month ago from the ruling PDS (Democratic Party
of Senegal),after having been ousted from his position as President
of the National Assembly by Wade loyalists. Since then he has
created his own party and joined a coalition of opposition parties
to contest the upcoming local elections. While there is certainly a
possibility that the criminal charges arrayed against are legally
sound, the timing is widely believed to be political motivated to
prevent Sall from being a factor in the local elections and to nip
his presidential ambitions in the bud. End Summary.

Eliminating an opponent
--------------

2. (SBU) Macky Sall's Chief of Protocol, Samba Diop, told Embassy
that Sall was ordered to report to the Main Police Station of Dakar
on January 27 with his communication adviser Abou Abel Thiam.
According to Diop, units of Special Forces from the Dakar police
department, led by Police Chief Modou Diagne, have been watching his
house since January 26. Sall has already set up an emergency task
force with his lawyers and made a press statement strongly denying
all accusations. His spokesman said that Sall fears that they wish
to detain him to derail his preparations for the March 22 local
elections and to prevent him from attending the National Prayer
Breakfast in Washington, which would raise his international
profile.

Handy charges
--------------


3. (SBU) The press release states, "The Ministry of Interior has
received information indicating that Mr. Macky Sall, former Chair of
Senegal's National Assembly and Mr. Abdoulaye Sall, a Senegalese
National residing in Gabon are involved in a money laundering
network. The Ministry has intercepted correspondence with an
African Head of State indicating that the suspected funds come from
the latter. This type of financial operation is illicit and the
Ministry of Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor's office are
investigating the case."

The culprit
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4. (SBU) The alleged accomplice is a billionaire who has businesses
in Gabon and who recently joined Macky Sall's party after being a
member of Union for Democratic Renewal (URD) (a party in Wade's own
coalition.) He arrived in Senegal for a family visit on January 24
and was harassed at the airport and thoroughly searched by the
police. His house was illegally searched as well. Although no
evidence was found, the police decided to arrest and detain him on
January 26 on the grounds that government had documents establishing
his conspiracy with Macky Sall in a money laundering operation.

COMMENT
--------------


5. (SBU) The sudden and convenient apparition of criminal charges
against political opponents has become common under Wade's regime.
After former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck fell out with Wade, he
faced the same kind of harassment. It now appears that it is Sall's
turn. In a discussion that he had with poloffs in December (Reftel)
Sall acknowledged that he would probably be harassed. It is sad to
say that these charges come as no surprise, especially on the heels
of Seck's return to the PDS.
Bernicat