(Reuters) – Karim Wade, son of a former Senegalese president, has been accused by prosecutors of amassing assets worth $1.4 billion and given one month to prove they were lawfully acquired or face corruption charges, Wade’s lawyer said yesterday.
Karim Wade acted as right-hand man to Abdoulaye Wade during his 12-year presidency of the poor West African state, marked by major spending on infrastructure projects, including new roads and an airport. He simultaneously held the post of minister for infrastructure, international cooperation, urban planning and air transportation, with a total budget equivalent to one-third of state expenditure.
His lawyer, El Amadou Sall, said prosecutors accused Wade yesterday of acquiring 694 billion CFA francs ($1.37 billion) worth of holdings in transport and infrastructure companies locally and abroad.
“We will prove these accusations are unfounded,” Sall told reporters, flanked by a smiling Karim Wade in traditional white Senegalese robes. Sall said Wade had been given one month to show these assets had a lawful original or face a trial.
President Macky Sall, who wrested the presidency from Wade at an election in March 2012, promised to fight corruption and embezzlement in the former French colony of 13 million people.
He and lawyer Sall are not related.
Neither the prosecutor nor the Justice Ministry would comment to media on the lawyer’s comments yesterday.
However, special prosecutor Alioune Ndao had announced in November that Karim Wade and four former ministers were being investigated on corruption charges. Karim Wade has been banned from leaving the country.
Karim Wade’s supporters clashed briefly with riot police outside the special court fighting misappropriation of public funds following the hearing in which the deadline was handed down. Security forces used teargas to disperse them.
