Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has pledged to continue pursuing the defamation case involving former Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, despite the Supreme Court’s recent decision rejecting his appeal.
Speaking during a live broadcast on social media, Sonko described the case as “tainted by irregularities” and criticized the ruling, which upheld a six-month suspended sentence that disqualified him from contesting the 2024 presidential election. He reiterated his reliance on a report from the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF), which he claims implicated Niang in mismanagement of funds linked to the Community Agricultural Domains program (Prodac).
The case has remained a contentious political issue, with Sonko refusing to appear at the original trial, and Niang’s legal team denying the existence of any incriminating IGF report.
Niang has since relocated abroad following the end of President Macky Sall’s term. While Sonko insists the matter is far from over, constitutional expert Mounirou Sy has pointed out that an amnesty law cleared all political offenses committed between 2021 and 2024.
Legal options remain through a procedure allowing the Supreme Court to review decisions based on judicial errors rather than party faults, if such errors are deemed to have influenced the outcome.
