Criminal assets: Lawyer Moussa Sarr wants to strengthen the entire recovery chain

“Crime must not pay.” The Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, Moussa Sarr, wants to step up the fight against economic and financial crime. On October 5, 2026, he called for better coordination among all actors responsible for seizing, confiscating, and recovering assets derived from offenses.

Mr. Moussa Sarr presided over the opening of the capacity-building workshop organized by the National Office for the Recovery of Criminal Assets (ONRAC), scheduled for October 5-8, 2026. According to the Minister of Justice, a conviction loses some of its impact when the proceeds of crime remain in the hands of the perpetrators. "Crime must not pay," he emphasized, stressing that economic and financial crime deprives the State of resources and causes direct harm to the community.

The minister welcomed the progress made by Senegal, with the creation of ONRAC, which has made it possible to recover more than 50 billion FCFA, as well as the establishment of the Financial Judicial Pool.

Moussa Sarr is advocating for closer collaboration between investigators, magistrates, and the National Anti-Corruption Office (ONRAC), from the identification of assets to the enforcement of court decisions. The minister wants asset investigations to begin as early as the initial stages of an investigation, given that criminals are increasingly employing concealment techniques, particularly through shell companies and crypto-assets.

The hunt also goes beyond borders

According to him, international judicial cooperation has become essential to track funds transferred abroad and prevent them from being sheltered in other jurisdictions. The Minister of Justice, however, emphasized the importance of respecting rights and procedural safeguards. A seizure does not constitute a conviction, and third parties acting in good faith must be able to assert their rights.

At the end of this workshop, the minister expects concrete recommendations to improve practices, strengthen the training of actors and make the entire chain of seizure, confiscation and recovery more efficient.