The defamation trial relating to the Covid-19 fund and pitting the former Minister of Infrastructure and Land Transport, Mansour Faye, against the former President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (Cese) and member of the ‘Diomaye Président’ Coalition, Aminata Touré, known as Mimi, was held yesterday at the Court of Dakar, in the absence of the first named. Ms Touré said that she had no apology to make to Mr Faye and that it was Mr Faye who should apologise to the people. At the end of the pleadings, the judge adjourned the case until 8 August.

The trial of two former ministers under Macky Sall, Mansour Faye and Aminata Touré, known as Mimi, was held yesterday at the Dakar Criminal Court. The judge, who presided over the hearing, reserved judgment on the case until 8 August. This decision was taken at the end of the hearing.

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Amadou Mansour Faye brought Aminata Touré before the aforementioned court for the offence of defamation. This followed a publication on social media by the defendant relating to his management of the Covid-19 fund.

In court, Aminata Touré, known as Mimi, defended herself. She affirmed to the judge and accepted her statement. She added that she had “no apology to make to the plaintiff” and that it was Mr Faye “who must apologise to the Senegalese people”.

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“I am the author of the post shared on social media. This affair is the continuation of a long series of harassment from the President of the Republic Macky Sall of which Mansour Faye is only a tiny part. I based myself on the conclusions of the final report of the Court of Auditors on the 1,000 billion Covid-19 fund, in particular on page 100-101, to back my remarks and accuse Amadou Mansour Faye”, the former Prime Minister argued. “In this particular case, the report states that 2.7 billion CFA francs worth of rice was over-invoiced. I’m not the only one to say this, 20 MPs have also called for Mansour Faye to be brought before the Ecowas High Court of Justice. We’re talking about 2.7 billion francs of overbilling, while some people were dying in hospitals and others were starving. Hospitals could have been built with that money,” pursued Mimi Touré.

‘I was outraged and asked our authorities to shed light on this affair’, said Ms Touré. Mimi Touré, whose lawyers have demanded a billion dollars from the brother-in-law of the former President of Senegal, is encouraging the authorities to pursue accountability.
By Amadou MBODJI / ambodji@lequotidien.sn

  • Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH