Senegalese parliamentarian calls for investigation into alleged 7 trillion FCFA "hidden debt" after IMF agreement
Following Senegal's 1,243 billion FCFA financial agreement with the International Monetary Fund IMF, Pastef member and parliamentarian Amadou Ba has announced a parliamentary inquiry into a purported "hidden debt" of 7,000 billion FCFA. Ba stated on Facebook that this amount exceeds the annual state budget and was allegedly contracted without proper public accounting. He aims to identify those responsible and reconstruct the financial trail, including involved officials, fund usage, financed programs, bank accounts, subcontractors, potential overbilling, and possible misappropriation. Ba also plans to examine mechanisms that may have bypassed budgetary procedures and National Assembly oversight. He criticized the Ministry of Finance and the government for not referring the matter to the financial prosecutor, despite the significant sums involved. Ba also claimed the IMF is demanding accountability, stating that such large sums cannot be contracted without identifying those responsible. He emphasized that debt restructuring should not absolve individuals of responsibility, asserting that the public should not bear the cost of a few individuals' enrichment.
