Political funds controversy: Abdourahmane Diouf questions Sonko on luxury vehicle purchases


Abdourahmane Diouf scrutinizes state vehicle acquisitions

The ongoing debate surrounding the management of political funds within the Primature has taken a new turn. Abdourahmane Diouf recently addressed statements made by Ousmane Sonko, who had previously indicated that political funds from the Primature were utilized for purchasing vehicles.

The minister recounted his own experience while serving in the Higher Education portfolio. He recalled his official vehicle breaking down en route to a Sénégal national team match, just days before a cabinet reshuffle was announced.

“All the cars were rickety,” he explained during an appearance on Solo Média.

More than 900 million allocated for vehicle purchases

According to Abdourahmane Diouf, Ousmane Sonko, then Prime Minister, had previously issued directives prohibiting any vehicle acquisitions during that period. This makes the subsequent declarations by the former Prime Minister regarding new vehicle purchases particularly puzzling, Diouf noted.

Diouf asserts that in the same year, Ousmane Sonko reportedly stated that over 900 million FCFA had been mobilized to acquire vehicles.

Crucially, Abdourahmane Diouf emphasized that these were no ordinary vehicles. “These are Maybachs, luxury cars,” he declared, maintaining that their acquisition was supposedly funded through political allocations.

Questions arise regarding the nature of the vehicles

The minister also suggested that administrative regulations might not permit the state to purchase second-hand assets. Furthermore, he put forward the idea that the vehicles in question could be assets previously recovered by the state.

These statements emerge amidst an intense institutional and political debate concerning the utilization of political funds and special credits in Sénégal. This is a significant development in African news today, reflecting broader pan-African current affairs regarding government transparency and public spending.

At this juncture, the claims involving the sum exceeding 900 million FCFA, the precise model of the vehicles, and their acquisition methods remain within the scope of Abdourahmane Diouf’s reported declarations. These assertions will require careful comparison with available administrative and financial records to accurately ascertain the conditions of these purchases, a topic of keen interest in Africa politics English discussions.