Crime & Justice

Senegal opposition leader sentenced to 2 years in prison for ‘corrupting’ minors

Dakar, Jun 1 (EFE).- A court in Senegal sentenced on Thursday opposition leader Ousmane Sonko to two years in prison for “corrupting” minors but acquitted him of rape charges.

The verdict means Sonko will be stripped of his right to run in the 2024 presidential elections.

Sonko’s conviction comes after he was tried on May 23 for allegedly raping a young masseuse.

Ndeye Khady Ndiaye, the owner of the beauty salon where the alleged rape took place, has also been sentenced to two years in jail for “inciting debauchery,” among other convictions.

Both were also ordered to each pay a fine of 600,000 CFA francs ($980) and a joint 20 million CFA francs in damages to the plaintiff.

Sonko stood trial after young masseuse Adji Sarr accused him of “repeated rapes” and of making death threats against her at the beginning of 2021.

The case has sparked controversy and triggered tensions in the country because Sonko’s supporters believed the judicial process was being used to block his presidential candidacy.

Sonko, who is popular among the country’ youth, has railed against corruption and France’s colonial legacy.EFE

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