Senegal parliamentary inquiry faces pushback from former ministers

A parliamentary commission of inquiry in Senegal investigating the ‘One student, one computer’ program is facing significant resistance from several former government officials. Multiple former ministers and high-ranking officials have declined summons to testify, citing concerns over the impartiality, legitimacy, and procedural fairness of the investigation.

Cheikh Oumar Anne, a former Minister of Higher Education, refused to appear, describing the proceedings as a ‘witch hunt against worthy servants of the Republic.’ He criticized the commission for lacking impartiality and pointed to past instances of violence within the National Assembly as evidence of a lack of institutional respect. Similarly, former ministers Moussa Baldé and Abdoulaye Daouda Diallo declined to attend. Baldé argued that the summons lacked specific details regarding the facts or contracts in question, while Diallo questioned the use of WhatsApp for official notifications and noted that requested administrative documents are state archives rather than personal property.

In contrast to these refusals, the commission has conducted hearings with current and former officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (MESRI). These sessions included the testimony of former and current secretaries-general and a former director general, focusing on the management of the program, procurement procedures, and the financial autonomy of various ministerial directorates.