Senegal President’s Brother Resigns

The brother of the President of Senegal Aliou Sall has resigned from government following a report on allegations concerning a gas deal involving BP and Timis Corp. He remains mayor of a Dakar suburb.

According to the BBC report Sall received undisclosed payments of $250,000 from a company that secured two offshore gas licenses, Petro-Tim, part of the Timis Corporation.

While an investigation into the deal commissioned by President Macky Sall following his election recommended that Petro-Tim should be stripped of the concession due to its lack of previous experience, its recommendations were not adopted. Aliou Sall was subsequently hired by Timis Corp and paid $1.5 million during a five-year period. The company then sold its shares to BP in 2016 following the discovery of gas. According to the BBC investigation BP was aware of the payments made by Timis Corp to the Aliou Sall.

Following publication of the report protestors have hit the streets in Dakar to register their discontent with the management of the country’s large gas reserves. The Attorney General has launched an investigation into the matter.

Despite have resigned from his position as director of Senegal’s Caisse des Depots et Consignations (CDC fund) Aliou Sall denies the accusations. His brother President Macky Sall has also spoken out against the allegations, describing them as an attempt to destabilise the country.