A Senegalese lawmaker has officially submitted a proposal to indict former President Macky Sall for high treason, following damning findings by the country’s Court of Auditors. The report alleges widespread financial misconduct during Sall’s tenure from 2019 to 2023, including document forgery, embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, and illicit enrichment. The Court’s audit, published earlier this year, detailed severe mismanagement of COVID-19 emergency funds, implicating several former officials and raising serious questions about the presidency’s role in enabling or overlooking the abuses.
Justice Minister Ousmane Diagne confirmed this week that criminal investigations into financial crimes are currently underway, but added that high treason charges may be considered if further evidence justifies such a move. Under Article 101 of Senegal’s Constitution, a former president may only be prosecuted for high treason, which requires a two-thirds majority approval by the National Assembly and adjudication by the High Court of Justice, a rarely activated judicial body reserved for trying top officials.
The lawmaker’s proposal echoes growing demands from civil society, anti-corruption groups, and opposition parties who have long accused Sall’s administration of opacity and impunity. If the National Assembly approves the motion, it would mark the first-ever prosecution of a former head of state under Senegal’s high treason statute—setting a historic legal precedent in the country’s post-independence era. Sall, who stepped down earlier this year after choosing not to run for a third term, has not publicly responded to the allegations. However, his political allies have dismissed the accusations as politically motivated.
The case is seen as a critical test for President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, elected in March on a platform of justice reform, anti-corruption, and restoring public trust in governance. His administration has pledged to uphold judicial independence while respecting due process. If pursued, the indictment could reshape Senegal’s democratic trajectory, reaffirming its commitment to accountability—or triggering political turbulence in an already polarized landscape.
