Parliamentary inquiry finds land irregularities in Dakar-Plateau
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Seneweb
A Senegalese parliamentary commission of inquiry has identified irregularities in the allocation of public land in Dakar-Plateau, including backdated documents and beneficiaries who are difficult to identify. Hearings with Eva Abess Niang, former head of the Land Registry, concern several transactions involving property companies and people close to a former minister, according to Seneweb.
Senegal’s parliamentary commission of inquiry has identified irregularities in the allocation and transfer of land belonging to the State’s private domain in Dakar-Plateau and other strategic areas of Dakar. MPs highlighted inconsistencies between official documents, backdated administrative notices and the identities of the actual beneficiaries, according to Seneweb.
At her hearing, Eva Abess Niang, former head of the Dakar-Plateau Land Registry office, was questioned about the case known as “Panier Magique”. The case concerns a 2,339 m² plot on the Corniche road in Mermoz, near Cap Manuel prison, for which a company manager submitted a regularisation request on 22 December 2023.
The Commission for the Control of Land Transactions issued a favourable opinion four days later, on 26 December, even though the Cadastral Service’s technical report was only drawn up and submitted on 27 December. The beneficiary company, established in 2023 as a sole proprietorship, also raised questions among MPs. The hearing also revealed suspicions that nominees were used on behalf of people close to the late former Finance Minister Mamadou Moustapha Bâ.
The inquiry is part of the Senegalese commission’s ongoing hearings. On 30 October, it was investigating the allocation of fishing licences. It follows revelations about forged administrative documents in Dakar, published on 19 October.
