Macky Sall Defends Administration Against Audit Findings

Former Senegalese President Macky Sall rejects allegations of mismanagement stemming from a critical audit report, labeling it a “political trial.” He expresses confidence in the integrity of his administration’s financial practices and asserts he is unafraid of any legal consequences. The audit indicates a substantial revision of national debt and deficit figures, prompting a credit rating downgrade for Senegal.

Macky Sall, the former President of Senegal, has called the recent criticisms from an independent audit a “political trial.” He spoke with Jeune Afrique magazine, asserting that he does not fear potential legal actions following a Court of Audit report that invalidated the official financial accounts from his tenure between 2012 and 2024. The Prime Minister described the audit report as “catastrophic.”

The government, led by Ousmane Sonko, revealed on February 13 that it may pursue legal proceedings against those involved in significant financial discrepancies identified by the audit, which revealed higher public debt and deficits than previously reported. The audit found that public debt reached 99.67 percent of GDP and adjusted the deficit forecast for 2023 from 4.9 percent to 12.3 percent. It also highlighted substantial off-the-books spending not reflected in official state accounts.

In response to the alarming findings, Moody’s downgraded Senegal’s credit ratings and shifted its outlook to negative. During his visit to South Africa for the launch of “The Cape Town Declaration,” aimed at alleviating African debt burdens, Sall defended his administration’s fiscal practices, maintaining that the audit allegations were unfounded.

Sall expressed his disagreement with the findings, asserting, “I totally disagree with these allegations of falsification. This is a political process. We have always worked in complete transparency with all partners. Every year, the Court of Auditors has certified the financial accounts of the State of Senegal. It is too easy to come back afterwards and say that all this was false.” He emphasized that his government had not been consulted or questioned prior to the Court’s report, declaring that he would not shy away from a legal pursuit and stating, “I am not afraid of anything.”

In summary, former Senegalese President Macky Sall refutes claims of financial mismanagement and calls the audit findings politically motivated. He emphasizes his commitment to transparency and critiques the timing and intentions behind the Court of Auditors’ report. Despite potential legal repercussions for his administration, Sall expresses no fear of returning to Senegal and stands by his government’s records.

Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com