Gambian Woman Remains in Senegalese Custody Over Alleged 673 Million CFA Fraud Case

Written by: Seringe S.T. Touray

A Gambian national, Adji Sera Trera, has remained in pretrial detention in Senegal after appearing before the trial chamber of the country’s specialised Financial Judicial Pool in connection with an alleged fraud case involving 673 million CFA francs, equivalent to more than one million US dollars.

According to Senegalese media reports, Trera has been in custody since April 30th after being placed under what is known in the French legal system as a “mandat de dépôt”, an order remanding a suspect into detention pending court proceedings.

The case was called before the court on Wednesday in proceedings relating to what Senegalese authorities described as “flagrant offences”. Prosecutors accuse the Gambian woman of allegedly defrauding businessman Modou Ndiaye of the substantial sum, although details surrounding the precise nature of the alleged scheme have not yet been made public.

During the hearing, defence lawyer El Hadj Diouf filed a motion seeking provisional release for his client pending further proceedings. Diouf argued that Trera had maintained legitimate business relations with the complainant and acted as one of his suppliers.

The lawyer further contended that his client had established ties within Senegal and had travelled there at the invitation of the businessman. He also stated that she regularly stayed at the residence of Ndiaye’s marabout (a respected religious guide in Senegalese society) in what appeared to be an attempt to demonstrate local connections and reduce concerns about possible flight risk.

However, prosecutors opposed the request, arguing that the defendant had failed to provide sufficient guarantees that she would appear before the court if released, particularly given the colossal sums allegedly involved in the case. The court ultimately sided with the prosecution and rejected the request for provisional release.

The case was adjourned until the 21st of this month for further proceedings.