A parliamentary investigation committee is being set up to examine alleged financial irregularities in Senegal’s flagship ‘One Student, One Laptop’ program, with potential embezzlement suspected.
The Pastef parliamentary group, led by National Assembly President Ousmane Sonko, has initiated a formal probe into suspected financial misconduct surrounding the multi-billion-franc ‘One Student, One Laptop’ initiative. The investigation aims to uncover alleged violations in procurement and contract execution that may have cost the state billions.
Under Sonko’s direction, the committee will scrutinize irregularities spanning eight years of the program’s implementation, which has accumulated expenditures of nearly 48 billion FCFA since 2017. Preliminary findings suggest potential financial losses exceeding 1.25 billion FCFA due to unlawful contract renewals and questionable fund disbursements.
Alleged Financial Mismanagement and Missing Transparency
Investigators point to several critical breaches of public procurement laws, including:
- Failure to conduct competitive tenders for contracts exceeding 50 million FCFA, violating Article 53 of the Public Procurement Code;
- Absence of prior review by the Central Public Procurement Directorate (DCMP), contravening Article 142;
- Lack of inclusion in the ministry’s procurement plan, breaching Article 6;
- Absence of mandatory ministerial approval for contracts over 300 million FCFA, as required by Article 29.
The probe also targets a 2 billion FCFA guarantee fund deposited with Ecobank, whose origins, management, and utilization remain completely opaque. Additionally, discrepancies in banking records reveal 13 accounts linked to the program—five more than officially documented—with 864.8 million FCFA unaccounted for and dispersed across these accounts.
Unused stockpiles of approximately 800 faulty laptops, purchased with public funds at the Cheikh Anta Diop University, further highlight the program’s mismanagement.
Key Officials and Entities Under Scrutiny
Sonko’s committee is examining the roles of ministers, directors, and financial managers who oversaw the program from 2017 onward. Targeted institutions include:
- The Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation (MESRI);
- The Ministry of Finance and Budget;
- The Directorate General of Higher Education;
- The Directorate of Higher Education Financing (DFEES);
- The Central Public Procurement Directorate (DCMP);
- The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ex-ARMP);
- All public, semi-public entities, universities, financial institutions, and individuals involved in the program’s execution.
Particular attention is being paid to a 2023 transaction where 1.446 billion FCFA was transferred to an intermediary company not officially contracted by the state. The payment, made without a valid contract, allegedly resulted in the government being billed twice for the same services.
With mounting evidence of procedural violations and financial impropriety, Sonko’s committee insists that a thorough parliamentary investigation is essential to restore accountability and recover misappropriated funds.
