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                    Wade Trial Prosecutor Removed in Senegal

   by Christin Roby

   In Senegal, the state has removed the prosecutor in the corruption
   trial of the former president's son, Karim Wade -- the latest turn in
   what has been a tense and politically charged trial.

   Special prosecutor Alioune Ndao was relieved of his duties
   Tuesday without explanation. He apparently got the news via text
   message while he was in court. The judge called a recess due to "an
   emergency." The trial will resume December 1.

   Ndao has been leading the investigation and prosecution of Wade that
   opened shortly after his father, Abdoulaye Wade, was voted out of
   office in March 2012. Wade managed a hefty government portfolio as a
   minister under his father.

   Now he stands accused of illegally amassing $240 million via offshore
   companies and foreign bank accounts.

   Senegal's justice ministry has not said why Ndao was removed, but some
   speculate he was preparing to investigate other officials based on
   evidence from the Wade trial.

   Pulling the prosecutor off such a high profile case was a risky move on
   the part of the government, Senegalese political analyst Aly Ndiaye
   said.

   ''"The fact that the government itself fired its own special prosecutor
   has undermined the credibility of the government evidence to a lot
   people in the public opinion," said Ndiaye said. "It [shows] that the
   government is not well-prepared to investigate or try Karim Wade. And
   it looks like they don't know what they're doing much."

   Wade's lawyers have called the case a "political witch hunt" since the
   beginning. The government said it is part of larger efforts to increase
   accountability in the spending of public funds. Wade, whose supporters
   chant "Free Karim" during courtroom breaks, has been in jail since
   April.

   That same phrase is spray painted on random buildings around Dakar.

   Despite the support, Wade has not historically been popular among
   Senegalese. He suffered a humiliating defeat in 2009 when he ran for
   mayor of Dakar. Protesters who took to the streets in 2012 to protest
   his father's re-election bid accused him of trying to put his son into
   power.

   Senegal is trying the younger Wade in a special court, the Court to
   Repress Illicit Enrichment, also known by its French acronym, the CREI.
   The court requires that the accused justify his wealth. Wade's lawyers
   say this is fundamentally unfair, arguing it treats the accused as
   guilty until proven innocent.

   The trial started in July and has routinely gotten bogged down in
   heated debates between the lawyers and the lead judge.  Fewer than 10
   of the 97 expected witnesses have taken the stand.  Each witness is
   questioned by the prosecutor, then the defense attorneys, and finally
   by Wade himself, a process that can take days.

   Wade often uses his time to interrogate the court, not the witness. He
   complains that he does not have access to evidence. The judge then cuts
   him off and tells a guard to return him to his seat.

   Witness testimony has varied widely. Some witnesses such as Patricia
   Lake Diop, Wade's notary, refused to answer questions.

   Other witnesses have discussed their role in alleged wrongdoing. Wade's
   former bodyguard Victor Kantoussan said he deposited nearly $200,000 on
   Wade's behalf into two accounts that he said belonged to the former
   minister of interior.
   A key sticking point is the absence of Wade's alleged accomplice,
   Lebanese businessman Bibo Bourgi. He was hospitalized during his
   testimony in September. The court eventually accepted that he be
   evacuated to France for treatment. The court is yet to rule on his
   request for an additional 45-day medical leave.

   Some speculate that Bourgi, a French citizen, will not return at all.
   Wade's lawyers say Bourgi is a key witness and without him, his trial
   will not be fair.
   The prosecutor and the court have not commented publicly since the
   trial opened.

   If convicted, Wade could face 10 years in prison and lose his rights as
   a Senegalese citizen.

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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/wade-trial-prosecutor-removed-in-senegal/2517687.html