#Headlines

Court to deliver judgement on Sonko’s rape case today

Jun 1, 2023, 12:52 PM

A High Court in Dakar, Senegal, will today adjudicate whether opposition leader Ousman Sonko is found guilty of rape or not.
The judgement is scheduled for today, and as usual, banks, schools and businesses in general are expected to be closed.

Last Sunday, Sonko was forced to go back to Dakar when as he was whisked in a security car with four mobiles and laptop seized.

According media reports, in his WhatsApp messages, it was discovered that he had communications with officials at Office of the President of Senegal, MFDC and journalists working in Senegal who used to receive money transfer allowances through his Mobile Wave and Orange accounts.

Last Monday, three ministers; Mactar Ba, Serigne Mbaye Thiam and Latif Koulbaly had their houses and cars burnt.

The political bureau of the opposition leader was set ablaze with two executive members having also had their houses and cars burnt to ashes as well. Several buses meant for public transports were also burnt.

Bathelemy Dias, the mayor of Dakar was lucky on Tuesday as his body guards quick arrested five people who allegedly attempted to set his house on fire. One of the culprits is a foreigner and could not speak the local Wollof language.

It was reported in the social media that all government officials including ministers are targeted.

The security dispersed the caravan of Sonko when a person was reported dead. Arms and ammunitions, cutlasses and stones were found in one of the cars of Sonko, reports say.

At least 28 supporters including Sonko’s driver and body guard are currently detained.

Official sources said with the two cases of Sonko on rape and libel from 2021 to date, 28 people have lost their lives.

In April, a member of parliament and a journalist had their houses burnt.

In a similar development, 33 Nigerians have been arrested for cyber attack on Senegal. They have reportedly hacked computers of the Office of the President in Dakar and offices of ministers.