Senegalese President speaks on controversial gas deal

Senegalese President Macky Sall on Wednesday reacted to accusations of corruption against his brother, Aliou Cisse.

He denounced an attempt to destabilize his country but failed to call for an investigation.

A report by BBC and Africa Eye states that Petro Tim had paid a $250,000 bonus to a company managed by Aliou Sall, the Senegalese president’s younger brother.

The accused parties have denied these allegations and decry defamation of character.

Macky Sall has pledged to shed light on the matter. But the opposition, which is calling for an investigation, will hear none of it.

Ousmane Sonko, a candidate in the last presidential election, believes that Macky Sall’s statement is a diversion.

In a statement, Sonko called on Senegalese youth to demonstrate against these scandals until appropriate measures are taken.

Another revelation of the controversial report was the takeover of Franck Timis’ group’s stake in 2017 by British company, BP.

Timis Corporation, is a firm run by Romanian-Australian tycoon Frank Timis.

According to the BBC report, BP had agreed to pay Timis $10 billion in royalty payments for its stake in the two blocks.

Senegal’s offshore oil and gas reserves have the potential to transform the country when they begin flowing in the next decade, with volumes expected to rival some of the region’s biggest producer.

Reuters