A HIGH-PROFILE Senegalese opposition MP and close ally of former President Macky Sall has been charged and jailed in Dakar for money laundering, fraud of public funds, and criminal association, a lawyer confirmed on Thursday.
Mouhamadou Ngom, widely known as Farba, was arrested and placed in custody following an investigation by a special anti-corruption unit, his lawyer Doudou Ndoye told AFP. Ngom, who also serves as the mayor of a town in northern Senegal, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity in January as authorities moved forward with their case.
Legal team denounces ‘unlawful’ arrest
Ngom’s legal team has strongly criticised the handling of the case, arguing that the process was politically motivated.
‘He is being put in prison while waiting to find out what he did,’ Ndoye said, calling the procedure ‘unlawful’ and an act of intimidation.
Supporters of the detained lawmaker protested outside the judicial police headquarters in Dakar, but security forces swiftly dispersed them, according to an AFP journalist on the scene.
Allegations of a sophisticated fraud network
Authorities allege that Ngom was part of a sophisticated money laundering operation that used shell companies to move funds. Investigators claim these companies made suspicious transactions worth over CFA125bn ($210 million).
Local media reports suggest that several individuals linked to the Sall administration have also been implicated in the scandal, though no formal charges have been announced against them yet.
Political implications and anti-corruption drive
Ngom’s arrest comes amid a broader anti-corruption crackdown under newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who took office in March after a landslide victory. His administration has vowed to root out corruption from the previous government, with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko stating last year that ‘widespread corruption’ had taken place under Sall’s leadership.
Since taking office, multiple former officials have been arrested or placed under investigation as part of Faye’s commitment to reform.
Ngom’s allies insist that the charges against him are politically motivated, with opposition figures arguing that the government is targeting key figures from the previous administration to consolidate power.
For now, the detained MP awaits trial, while his supporters continue to demand justice, claiming the case is part of a wider political purge.
