Senegal’s anti-corruption court on Monday indicted former Community Development Minister Amadou Mansour Faye, the brother-in-law of former President Macky Sall, on charges of embezzling more than $4.6 million in public funds.
Faye, the fifth official from the previous administration to face charges, was denied bail and ordered held in custody, his attorney Amadou Sall said.
The indictment comes amid an expanding anti-corruption campaign led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who took office earlier this year after pledging to promote transparency and accountability in government.
Faye is being prosecuted by the High Court of Justice, a special tribunal with jurisdiction over crimes committed by government officials during their tenure.
His case follows similar charges brought last week against two other former ministers. Moustapha Diop, the former minister of industrial development, is accused of embezzling approximately $4 million from a COVID-19 relief fund, while former Mines Minister Aissatou Sophie Gladima faces charges of misappropriating $330,000 intended for miners affected by the pandemic.
The allegations stem from a parliamentary investigation that found widespread misuse of public funds during the Sall administration.
While critics have questioned whether the prosecutions are politically motivated, the Faye administration has maintained that its goal is to ensure public resources are protected and used for national development. Government officials have repeatedly stated that no one is above the law.