Dakar court hears theft case involving Eva Tra's jewelry

A Dakar court has heard the case involving the theft of jewelry belonging to TFM presenter Awa Traoré, known as Eva Tra. The incident, which occurred on July 24, involved an estimated loss of 14 million CFA francs in jewelry.

Prosecutors have requested five-year prison sentences for two defendants: Mouhamed Coulibaly, a merchant charged with fraud, and Baye Guèye, a painter charged with receiving stolen goods. The theft was executed through a sophisticated telephone scam where an individual impersonated a Sonatel agent. The perpetrator contacted the victim's son, claiming there was a line disruption, and used a series of simultaneous calls to prevent the family from verifying the claim. Under remote guidance, the son was led to retrieve the jewelry and hand it to a taxi driver.

While the defendants deny involvement, the prosecution cited IMEI tracking that linked the calls to Coulibaly. The civil party is seeking 100 million CFA francs in damages, while Sonatel, which has joined the proceedings, is seeking 1 million CFA francs for the fraudulent use of its identity. The verdict is expected on October 9.