The 125 billion FCFA case: the investigation is complete, the financial prosecutor takes over.

After 17 months of investigation, the panel of investigating judges of the Financial Judicial Pool has closed the so-called 125 billion CFA franc case involving, among others, Farba Ngom and Tahirou Sarr. Les Échos, which reported the news, indicates that the notice of closure was served on the lawyers last Friday.

The newspaper specifies that the defense lawyers now have three days to file their observations. The case will then be sent to the financial prosecutor, who will make his final submissions, before the investigating judge issues his order, which may be a referral to the trial court, a dismissal, or a partial dismissal.

At the heart of this case are Farba Ngom and Tahirou Sarr. Placed in pretrial detention in February 2025, Farba Ngom is implicated in two parts of the investigation, concerning 31 billion and 91 billion respectively. He is being prosecuted for fraud involving public funds and complicity, while Tahirou Sarr is being targeted, in particular, for criminal conspiracy, fraud involving public funds, and money laundering.

The investigation also led to the indictment of 17 people, as well as unknown individuals, the same source notes. Among them are Amadou Macky Sall, suspected of the alleged embezzlement of 10 billion through the company Woodrose Investment LTD; Ibrahima Bâ, cited for 5.5 billion; Mamadou Racine Sy, for more than 700 million; and Waly Seck, prosecuted in a case involving 200 million related to the purchase of a vehicle.

Farba Ngom's brothers – Hamady, Ismaïla, and Birane Ngom – are also implicated. Les Échos adds that those involved, having been questioned, denied the charges against them.

Finally, the newspaper notes that the defense has some hope after a previous decision by the Financial Indictment Chamber, which had determined that the sums received by Farba Ngom were "of a private and not public nature" and that Tahirou Sarr had been paid by the Public Treasury "after services rendered", elements likely to weigh on the continuation of the procedure.