Sénégal SOGEPA: Yaya Kane Auditioned on Cession Villa Président Assemblée Nationale

• Former SOGEPA Director General Yaya Abdoul Kane was questioned about the cession of public properties, including the National Assembly President's villa.
• Kane stated that AGEPBE was not involved in the transfer of the villa to SCI Ding Ding or 52 villas in Cité Cheikh Amar to Tahirou Sarr.
• He reported receiving a request from SCI Ding Ding for the villa and being informed by the President of the Republic about its cession.
• The 52 villas were reportedly sold for 7 billion CFA francs, despite costing the state 10 billion CFA francs.
• Kane also disclosed a 99-year emphyteutic lease for two villas granted to Serigne Bassirou Guèye under presidential instruction, for an annual fee of 100,000 CFA francs.

The former SOGEPA Director General's testimony highlights a pattern of alleged irregularities in the transfer of significant state assets, raising serious questions about transparency and due process in public patrimony management.

Yaya Abdoul Kane, who served as the Director General of SOGEPA from April 2019 to May 2024, recently underwent an audition where he was questioned extensively about several transfers of public assets. This interrogation followed a similar session involving Elimane Pouye and focused particularly on the cession of the villa designated for the President of the National Assembly. Mr. Kane was pressed for details regarding the transfer of this official residence to SCI Ding Ding, a company reportedly owned by businessman Tahirou Sarr.

Further inquiries during the audition concerned the cession of 52 villas located in Cité Cheikh Amar, also linked to Tahirou Sarr. Mr. Kane asserted that the AGEPBE (Agence de Gestion du Patrimoine Bâti de l'État) had no involvement in either of these significant transactions. Regarding the National Assembly President's villa, he recounted receiving a formal request from SCI Ding Ding for its availability. He also stated that the President of the Republic had informed him that the National Assembly President had reported the cession of his assigned residence. Mr. Kane indicated that SCI Ding Ding presented documentation originating from the Ministry of Finance services, though he maintained SOGEPA's lack of direct knowledge regarding this specific process. Following these developments, he communicated with the National Assembly President to apprise him of the situation and request appropriate action.

The ongoing enquête SOGEPA Sénégal into alleged irrégularités cession biens publics Sénégal has placed a spotlight on the operational procedures and oversight within the agency. During his testimony, Mr. Kane reiterated SOGEPA's non-association with the cession of the 52 villas in Cité Cheikh Amar to Tahirou Sarr. These properties were reportedly sold for 7 billion CFA francs, despite having cost the state an estimated 10 billion CFA francs, highlighting a significant financial discrepancy. Mr. Kane's consistent position throughout his audition was that SOGEPA, under his leadership, was not part of the decision-making or execution processes for these high-profile property transfers.

His statements underscore a potential disconnect between various state entities involved in the management and disposal of public patrimony. The former SOGEPA Director General's testimony highlights a pattern of alleged irregularities in the transfer of significant state assets, raising serious questions about transparency and due process in public patrimony management. This lack of direct involvement, as claimed by Mr. Kane, suggests a complex web of transactions where official channels may have been bypassed or inadequately documented, particularly concerning the Sénégal cession villa président Assemblée nationale SOGEPA.

Beyond the villa and the Cité Cheikh Amar properties, Yaya Abdoul Kane's audition also delved into another contentious transaction: a 99-year emphyteutic lease. This long-term lease was granted to Serigne Bassirou Guèye for two villas situated in Point E, with an annual fee set at a remarkably low 100,000 CFA francs. Mr. Kane revealed that these specific villas were previously unrecorded within the state's built patrimony, indicating they were effectively 'discovered' during his tenure.

He further testified that he received direct instructions from an authority, whom he identified as the President of the Republic, to proceed with granting this particular bail emphytéotique Serigne Bassirou Guèye. This revelation adds another layer to the investigation into the management of state assets, suggesting that high-level directives played a role in the allocation of public properties, even those not formally listed.

The revelations from Yaya Abdoul Kane's audition paint a concerning picture regarding the management and transfer of public assets in Senegal. The alleged irregularities surrounding the cession of the National Assembly President's villa, the 52 villas in Cité Cheikh Amar, and the emphyteutic lease for the Point E properties collectively raise significant questions about governance, accountability, and the protection of state patrimony. The financial disparities, the claimed lack of involvement from relevant agencies like AGEPBE, and the direct intervention of high authorities in property allocations suggest systemic vulnerabilities.

These ongoing investigations into the Sénégal cession villa président Assemblée nationale SOGEPA and other public properties are crucial for upholding public trust and ensuring that state assets are managed transparently and for the benefit of all citizens. The outcomes could lead to a re-evaluation of current procedures for asset disposal and acquisition, potentially impacting future legal and regulatory frameworks governing public patrimony in Senegal.

Lawyers and compliance officers in Senegal should closely monitor the ongoing investigations into the alleged irregularities in the cession of public properties, including high-value assets like the National Assembly President's villa. This could lead to legal challenges, potential rescission of past transactions, or new regulatory scrutiny on the acquisition and disposal of state assets, impacting due diligence requirements for future deals involving public patrimony.

Source: Original reporting based on a source detailing a SOGEPA audit.