Moustapha Cissé Lô defends former prosecutor in Senegal villa dispute

In Senegal, former deputy and first vice-president of the National Assembly, Moustapha Cissé Lô, has defended former Public Prosecutor Serigne Bassirou Guèye against what he describes as “sterile and unjustified” controversy. The debate follows testimony from Yaya Abdou Kane, former director general of the State Real Estate Management Company (SOGEPA), who stated that Guèye was granted two villas in Dakar's Point E district under a 99-year lease with a monthly rent of 100,000 FCFA.

Lô characterized the scrutiny as “political harassment,” arguing that the allocation of land and property to public figures is a long-standing practice in Senegal dating back to the presidency of Léopold Sédar Senghor. He called for an end to the “amalgamation” of facts and urged for equitable treatment regarding the management of state real estate assets.