Senegal Leader's Brother Resigns Over Oil Firm Allegations
Muhammad Rameez Published October 14, 2016 | 07:40 PM
DAKAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Oct, 2016 ) : The brother of Senegal's president resigned Friday as a director of an oil firm with significant operations in the west African country following corruption allegations by opposition groups.
Aliou Sall, younger brother of President Macky Sall, is accused of helping commodities firm Timis Corporation unfairly secure favourable conditions for the company while he was on its board. The opposition has also questioned the involvement of a presidential family member in a firm that jointly controls offshore oil and gas deposits alongside the Senegalese government.
Sall, who is also the mayor of a Dakar suburb, confirmed to AFP by telephone Friday he would "no longer be in charge of the group's activities in Senegal". Writing on his Facebook page, Sall hit out at a "campaign of demonisation" and said he was only resigning to put "the president of the republic at ease".
He said he would retain a role within Timis Corporation which is owned by Romanian-Australian tycoon Frank Timis, and said he would be involved in "the development of future projects in Africa".
Sall and Timis lodged a legal complaint on Monday against 11 individuals, including former prime minister Abdoul Mbaye and several journalists, accusing them of "defamation and spreading false news" over the affair.
Timis sold a chunk of its interests in oil and gas exploration off Senegal to Texas-based Kosmos Energy in 2014, but retains a 30 percent stake in the project. Opposition groups have planned a rally for Friday calling for greater transparency over oil and gas contracts signed between foreign firms and the Senegalese government in recent years.
The government has just announced the creation of a new body of ministers and industry figures to scrutinise regulations on oil and gas to "reinforce the package of measures on transparency within the natural resources sector".
Related Topics
Recent Stories
At least 10 people killed in Brazil fire: officials
Shahzaib Rind calls on Deputy Speaker Balochistan
Ahsan chairs 13th CPEC-JCC preparatory meeting, reviews arrangements for high-le ..
DC Tharparkar inaugurates anti-polio campaign
HDA Mehran workers demand salaries
Taxila police nab motorcycle lifter gang
Inter-university weightlifting championship kicks off at SAU
Walk held in a series of enrollment campaigns
Team from Gaza mediator Egypt arrives in Israel for truce talks
Kids murders: IHC orders psychiatric examination of mother
Health minister credits PML-N for advancements in organ transplantation
Court grants interim bail to Azam Swati in cyber crime case
More Stories From World
-
At least 10 people killed in Brazil fire: officials
1 hour ago -
Team from Gaza mediator Egypt arrives in Israel for truce talks
1 hour ago -
Kenya flood death toll since March climbs to 70
1 hour ago -
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
1 hour ago -
Junta-led Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America for two weeks
2 hours ago -
Romania court opens way for start of influencer Tate's trial
3 hours ago
-
Kenya flood death toll since March climbs to 70
3 hours ago -
At least 10 people killed in Brazil fire: officials
3 hours ago -
Russia targets Ukraine railways as Western aid due to arrive
3 hours ago -
Miner Anglo American rejects BHP's near $39-billion takeover bid
3 hours ago -
At least 10 people killed in Brazil fire: officials
3 hours ago -
Junta-led Burkina Faso suspends BBC, Voice of America for two weeks
3 hours ago