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DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Opposition leader found guilty of defaming Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, his lawyer says.
A court in Senegal has handed a two-month suspended prison sentence to leading opposition leader Ousmane Sonko for libel, his lawyer said.
The court in the capital, Dakar, on Thursday found him guilty of defaming Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, a member of President Macky Sall’s party.
The sentence is not expected to prevent Sonko from running in presidential elections next year. There was no immediate statement from his team.
A former tax inspector who transitioned to politics and became the leader of the Pastef opposition party, Sonko finished third in the 2019 presidential election. His popularity has since risen and he is considered today as Sall’s foremost political opponent.
Sonko faced libel charges brought against him by Mbaye Niang after accusing him of stealing 29 billion CFA francs ($47 million) from a government agency. He denied wrongdoing and previously said the charges against him were a tactic to eliminate him from the presidential race.
The 48-year-old also faces separate charges of raping a beauty salon employee and making death threats to her in 2021. He has also denied wrongdoing in the sexual abuse case.
The cases have prompted violent protests across the country.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
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