2023-04-18 02:30:01
Kinshasa, April 18th2003 (CPA).- In Senegal, the appeal for defamation of the opponent Ousmane Sonko, sentenced in first instance to two months in prison and 200 million CFA francs in damages, was postponed to May 8th2023. A sentence that does not affect his eligibility for the presidential election scheduled for February 2024. But the prosecution and the civil party had appealed. The leader of the party African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Brotherhood (Pastef) was absent from the hearing on Monday April 17th in this case against the current Minister in charge of Tourism, Mame Mbaye Niang. The dismissal was announced after an express hearing on Monday morning, in the presence of Mame Mbaye Niang. But Ousmane Sonko was absent. Leaders of his coalition Yewwi Askan Wi as Khalifa Sall had made the trip. It was a hearing « of enrolment » of the case explained Mr. El Hadj Diouf, one of the lawyers of the Minister in charge of Tourism, which proves – according to him « that the rights of all parties have been respected. For its part, the camp of Ousmane Sonko had denounced a « rush » in this case, the fact that this trial is set even before the expiration of the one-month deadline to appeal. For the opponent’s defence, the objective of this new trial would be to increase the sentence of two months suspended, and to make Ousmane Sonko ineligible. As with each hearing involving the leader of the Pastef party, security measures had been taken: deployment of police around his home, a ban on motorbikes and retail fuel sales. Ousmane Sonko has not spoken since his trial on March 30thbut he participated on April 16th in the launching of the « Movement of the living forces of Senegal F24 », a platform that brings together more than a hundred political parties and civil society against a possible candidacy of President Macky Sall for a third term in 2024.
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