Fonds de la DER distribués à l'APR : Les secrets de l'affaire qui a failli faire tomber Dembourou Sow
The president of the Convergence of Livestock Farmers for the Emergence of Senegal (CEES), Aliou Demba Sow, also known as Dembourou Sow, a former member of parliament and former president of the Ranérou departmental council, was tried this Monday in the Dakar court for flagrant offenses. He is being prosecuted for embezzlement of public funds. He was brought before the prosecutor's office on June 4, 2026, following an investigation conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division (DIC). He appeared in court as a free man.
According to the procedure, the case concerns a balance of 34,264,400 FCFA from funding granted in 2021 by the General Delegation for Rapid Entrepreneurship of Women and Youth (DER/FJ).
According to statements by Massamba Dieng, head of the Litigation Division at DER/FJ, Aliou Demba Sow, in his capacity as president of CEES, had requested funding for a Tabaski operation. After reviewing the project, DER/FJ granted him a loan of 50 million FCFA on June 25, 2021. The agreement stipulated repayment over three months, in monthly installments of 16,360,600 FCFA.
However, according to the complainant, the beneficiary only made one payment of 16,360,600 FCFA, leaving a balance of 34,264,400 FCFA despite several reminders and formal notices.
When questioned by DIC investigators, Aliou Demba Sow acknowledged receiving the funding and admitted the existence of the remaining balance claimed by the DER/FJ. He explained, however, that the funds had not been used for personal purposes. According to him, the entire amount had been redistributed to members of the CEES as part of a livestock support program.
The accused claims that a list of 24 beneficiaries had been drawn up by the organization's treasurer, Absatou Sow. Each beneficiary allegedly received 2 million FCFA, with the exception of one member who received 5 million FCFA.
Aliou Demba Sow maintains that the beneficiaries had committed to repaying the funds received within six months. However, several of them reportedly refused to repay, believing that these were political funds granted under the regime of former President Macky Sall.
However, the investigations revealed several inconsistencies. When asked to provide the complete list of the 24 beneficiaries, Aliou Demba Sow only gave investigators the contact details of nine people.
According to the DIC report, only some of them were able to be interviewed. Those interviewed confirmed that they had each received 2 million FCFA to develop their livestock farming activities.
However, they stated that they did not know the exact origin of the funds or the repayment terms, claiming that Aliou Demba Sow had simply asked them to use the money to revive their businesses.
Investigators also point out that several beneficiaries on the list remained unreachable until the proceedings were closed, and that the names of the 15 other people supposed to have benefited from the funding were never released.
To support his statements, Aliou Demba Sow gave investigators various receipts and payment statements supposed to demonstrate the redistribution of funds to livestock farmers.
He also indicated that he had undertaken recovery procedures with the assistance of a bailiff, Maître Dame Lô, which made it possible to recover approximately 16 million FCFA, an amount then paid to the DER/FJ.
Faced with the remaining debt, the former parliamentarian requested an extension to settle his debt. He committed to paying an initial installment of 10 million FCFA starting July 30, 2025, and to paying the balance in successive installments.
In court, Aliou Dembourou Sow admitted to the facts. "I am the president of the CEES. I received a loan of 50 million for a Tabaski operation which I distributed to the members. I am the guarantor. But some were unable to repay. I take responsibility, I am the legal entity," declared the former parliamentarian.
The public prosecutor reminded him that Amath Sow had told investigators that he hadn't specified the intended use of the funds. This was why he distributed the money to members of the APR as gifts. He then organized football tournaments.
The judge pressed him further: “Don’t you usually receive funds that you then distribute to activists?” the presiding judge asked. “That’s true, I was a member of parliament. I used to give money. Perhaps that’s what they thought was a donation,” Aliou Dembourou Sow retorted before concluding: “They wanted to prosecute me because of Aliou Dembourou Sow. But I’m not the only one who owes money to the DER.”
In his observations, the public prosecutor specified that Aliou Dembourou Sow had signed a loan agreement. The prosecution questioned the use of the funds. According to the prosecutor, the defendant received funds for a Tabaski (Eid al-Adha) operation. However, he used the money for personal purposes. Therefore, the funds were misappropriated.
The public prosecutor requested a sentence of 6 months in prison, including one month of mandatory imprisonment, with a fine of 500,000 FCFA.
The defense, represented by Oumar Youm, stated: "We mustn't misinterpret what the official reports don't say. The money was used for Tabaski-related activities," the lawyer argued. Referring to the provisions of Article 384, Youm requested an outright acquittal. "This is a debt collection case. There is no criminal offense," the lawyer argued.
In delivering its verdict, the court acquitted Aliou Dembourou Sow. However, the judge found him liable under Article 457.
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