Senegal: Kémi Seba's appeal trial postponed to April 27

Text by: RFI Follow

The Franco-Beninese activist, a figure in the fight against the CFA franc, was to appear on Monday 24 February for having burned a 5,000 CFA franc note in Dakar in 2017. Relaxed at first instance, the prosecution had appealed. Kémi Seba was not present at the hearing: following the expulsion measure from Senegal in 2017, he was arrested by the police upon his arrival at the airport late Sunday afternoon.

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With our correspondent in Dakar, Charlotte Idrac

The court said on Monday that " the case was not ready for trial ". " It is a simple case, like the others, " said the president of the court. Here, we " judge litigants, not personalities, " he continues. But for the defense of Kémi Seba , on the contrary, " it is a special situation ".

For his lawyers, it is the rights of the defense that are flouted. They request the immediate appearance of their client. " It is scandalous, it is the State of Senegal which fixes an audience, it makes the displacement, it comes to Senegal and one says to him: " you cannot enter " and one blocks it at the airport at the time where his audience is held , indignant Master Assane Dioma Ndiaye. To pretend that Mr. Seba is not on Senegalese territory, to ignore this, simply because of an administrative decision, this is what we denounced. What the prosecution tried to deconstruct . "

The prosecution puts forward the procedure. According to the prosecutor, the file cannot be judged, since the co-accused of Kémi Seba in this case of “ voluntary destruction of bank note ” did not receive a summons to appear. He calls for overcoming the debate.

The defense insists: " the court has its say ", according to the lawyers. Wasted effort. See you, therefore, on April 27. With a risk of status quo , if the administrative measure targeting Kémi Seba is not lifted by then.

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