Aser affair: Thierno Alassane Sall accuses Ousmane Sonko of state deception

Parliamentarian Thierno Alassane Sall has come forward, asserting that a confidential document dated August 26, 2024, and signed by former Energy Minister Birame Souleye Diop, provides undeniable proof of systemic dysfunction at the highest echelons of the Senegalese state. In a public statement shared across his social media platforms, the president of the République des Valeurs party contends that this specific note constitutes irrefutable evidence of a government-level deception.

Thierno Alassane Sall insists that Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko was made aware very early on of the significant irregularities surrounding the management of the Senegalese Rural Electrification Agency (ASER). In his communiqué, the influential parliamentarian declared, “Ousmane Sonko’s culpability is now overwhelming,” further clarifying that, “the document, which has been circulating for several days, confirms that the Prime Minister was informed, as early as August 2024, of the alleged misappropriation of the initial startup advance, a portion of which was visibly utilized to compensate SONAC employees, according to the minister.”

The deputy sharply criticizes the government’s passive response to the numerous alerts issued regarding this matter, well before financial partners and regulatory bodies were compelled to intervene. In his address, Thierno Alassane Sall posed a pointed question: “Not only did Prime Minister Sonko ignore this crucial warning, but he subsequently orchestrated an omerta by declaring ‘zero ASER scandal.’ Who exactly was he attempting to protect?”

Moreover, the parliamentarian highlighted that the leak of this pivotal correspondence “strengthens the legal qualification of criminal association, as identified by the Financial Judicial Pool,” affirming that, “this entire affair represents a critical test for the integrity of justice and for the ‘Jub Jubal Jubbanti’ commitment so widely proclaimed by the executive branch.”