A former minister in Senegal, Lat Diop, has been jailed on charges of extortion, embezzlement, and money laundering during his tenure as the head of the national lottery, according to his lawyer.
Diop, who led the national lottery from 2020 and later served as sports minister from 2023 to 2024 under ex-president Macky Sall, is the first ex-minister to be detained under the new administration that took office in April.
The new government, led by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, has made accountability for the previous administration a priority. On the same day Diop was jailed, Sonko reiterated his commitment to investigating what he called “widespread corruption” during the previous regime.
Diop’s lawyer, El Hadji Diouf, clarified that the charges stem from his client’s time as the national lottery head, not from his role as a minister. Diop denies the accusations, with his lawyer asserting, “The three offences in question do not exist,” and promising to request the cancellation of the proceedings.
Diop is the first senior official to be detained by a newly established financial judicial mechanism, which brings together specialised magistrates and investigators to combat financial crimes. Although this body was set up by the former authorities, it has now been activated by the new government to address corruption.
The charges reportedly stem from statements made by a former CEO of an online sports betting company, which partnered with the national lottery. According to press reports, the CEO claimed to have given five billion CFA francs ($8.5 million) to Diop, a claim the former minister disputes.
