17th April, 2014
Son of Senegal’s former president will face trial in two months for corruption charges, a year after he was accused of illegally amassing a fortune of $1.4 billion (833 million pounds) during his father’s rule, a government official said.
The decision ends hopes that Karim Wade, who was the most powerful figure in his father Abdoulaye Wade’s 2000-2012 government, could see the case thrown out of the Court for Illegal Enrichment that handles corruption issues.
“The court has taken the decision for Karim Wade to face trial in two months from now,” Soro Diop, an adviser to the justice ministry, said.
Diop gave no details on the charges Wade would face. Local media have speculated that the amount of money he is accused of amassing, largely through a network of shady holding companies, may be reduced.
Wade has been in prison for a year, sealing a dramatic fall from power for the former president’s son, who previously ran ministries in charge of infrastructure, international cooperation, energy and air transportation.
President Macky Sall, who wrested the presidency from Wade’s father in a March 2012 election, has promised to fight corruption and embezzlement in the former French colony of 13 million people.