Home SENEGAL SENEGAL: National Assembly supports lifting of Ousmane Sonko’s parliamentary immunity

SENEGAL: National Assembly supports lifting of Ousmane Sonko’s parliamentary immunity

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The members of the Bureau of the Senegalese National Assembly met this Thursday, February 11, 2021 in the hemicycle to decide on the possible lifting of the parliamentary immunity of the leader of Pastef Ousmane Sonko. The latter is accused of rape followed by death threats by Adji Sarr, 21 years old, masseuse in a salon called “Sweet Beauty”. Most of the deputies present were in favour of a continuation of the procedure initiated by a request from the Minister of Justice, Malick Sall. 

MEPs looked into the case of their colleague Ousmane Sonko, leader of Pastef on Thursday 11 February. Of the 17 parliamentarians who make up the bureau, 15 voted in favour and 2 are opposed to the trial of the candidate of the Patriotes, who came third in the last presidential elections in March 2019.

According to the deputy Serigne Bara Doli, president of the Parliamentary Group for Democracy and Freedom, who faced the journalists coming out of the meeting, the Conference of Presidents announced a meeting on Monday, February 15, 2021 to designate the so-called “ad hoc” commission charged with examining the request of the Minister of Justice, Malick Sall. “The Committee on Laws, which is responsible for deciding on the substance of the parliamentary immunity procedure, will meet next Monday at 10 a.m., in order to set up the ad hoc committee that will be responsible for conducting the investigation,” says the Member. 

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On Wednesday, 17 February, the same bureau will meet to ratify the list of committee members in plenary. The ad hoc committee will then be responsible for hearing Deputy Ousmane Sonko, who can also, if he wishes, be represented. The final stage of the procedure will be left to the committee, which will have the flexibility to set a precise date for the lifting of Ousmane Sonko’s parliamentary immunity.

It should be noted that the two opposition members present at this meeting were the only ones to vote no. They are Serigne Bara Doli of the Parliamentary Group for Democracy and Freedom, and Yaya Mané Albis of Bokk Guiss-Guiss.

       

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