A former Senegalese minister has been sentenced to prison for charges of extortion, embezzlement, and money laundering related to his time as the head of the national lottery. His lawyer informed AFP of the developments on Friday.
Lat Diop led the national lottery from 2020 and served as the sports minister from 2023 to 2024 under the previous president, Macky Sall. He is notable for being the first former government minister to be detained by the new authorities, who assumed power in April.
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko have emphasized their commitment to holding the previous administration accountable. Diop was imprisoned late Thursday, coinciding with Sonko’s promise to investigate what he referred to as “widespread corruption” under the former government.
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Diop is currently being questioned in connection with his role as the former head of the national lottery, not as a minister, according to his lawyer, El Hadji Diouf. Diop has denied all charges against him.
Diouf stated, “The three offenses in question do not exist,” and he plans to request the cancellation of the legal proceedings.
Diop is the first senior official to be detained under a new financial judicial mechanism that was launched this month. This judicial body consists of specialized magistrates and investigators aimed at addressing financial crimes and corruption, created by the previous administration.
Diouf asserted that the charges against his client were based solely on claims made by a former head of an online sports betting company, which was partnered with the national lottery. Reports indicate that this individual testified during hearings that he had given Diop five billion CFA francs (approximately $8.5 million), a claim that Diop disputes.
