Macky Sall, the former President of Senegal, criticized a recent independent audit deeming it a “political trial”. The audit uncovered substantial mismanagement during his presidency, increasing public debt estimates drastically and revising the budget deficit significantly. In response, Sall maintains his administration acted transparently and expressed no fear of legal consequences.
Former Senegalese president Macky Sall has denounced the recent criticism against his administration following an independent audit that invalidated financial accounts from his tenure. In an interview with Jeune Afrique, he characterized these claims as a “political trial” and expressed confidence that he would not face legal repercussions. The audit, described by the current Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko as “catastrophic,” indicated significant mismanagement of public funds under Sall’s leadership.
The audit revealed that Senegal’s public debt was substantially underestimated; it reached 99.67% of GDP, far higher than prior government estimates. The Court of Auditors also reported a revised budget deficit for 2023, increasing it from 4.9% to 12.3%. Additionally, there were findings of significant off-the-books spending not documented in state accounts, contributing to the scrutiny of Sall’s financial management.
In light of these revelations, Moody’s adjusted Senegal’s credit outlook to negative and downgraded its long-term ratings. Despite this, Sall, who was promoting an initiative to alleviate African debt in South Africa, dismissed the allegations of falsification. He asserted that his administration always operated transparently and questioned the integrity of the audit process.
Sall claimed that the Court of Auditors did not seek input from any former officials before publishing its findings. He expressed a lack of fear regarding any legal action against him or his administration, emphasizing his freedom to reside in Morocco while also contemplating a return to Senegal.
The political ramifications of the audit on Macky Sall’s presidency are significant, as they highlight severe criticisms of financial mismanagement. Sall vehemently contests these claims, framing them as politically motivated. The sharp revisions of public debt and budget deficits have led to negative credit outlook adjustments by international ratings agencies, intensifying scrutiny of the former administration’s fiscal policies.
Original Source: www.hindustantimes.com
