Mechanic Mathiou and his friend, prosecuted for stealing 6 million CFA francs and gold jewelry, face 15 years in prison.

Mechanic M. Diop, alias "Mathiou," and his friend SM Ndiaye appeared this Monday, November 9, before the criminal chamber of the Thiès High Court. They are being prosecuted for conspiracy and aggravated theft committed using vehicles, to the detriment of shopkeeper A. Ndiaye. The theft occurred on July 13, 2023.

According to the prosecution, the two men and their accomplices stole a bag containing 6 million CFA francs and gold jewelry belonging to the shopkeeper. In court, the two defendants admitted their involvement in the theft, while disputing the amount stolen. They maintain they took 4 million CFA francs, not including the gold jewelry mentioned by the plaintiff.

Mr. Diop, also known as "Mathiou," explained that they had left Dakar and initially gone to Thiès to buy motorcycles. But, upon encountering the shopkeeper, the idea of stealing her bag crossed their minds. A plan was then devised to carry out the theft.

The mechanic also revealed that he had participated in the robbery to finance his trip to Nicaragua. According to him, the loot was shared among the group members, each receiving 500,000 CFA francs.

His co-defendant, SM Ndiaye, explained that he was the one who distracted the shopkeeper by pointing out that a liquid was leaking from her vehicle, thus allowing his accomplices to seize the bag. He identified a certain Laye Goto, currently in the United States, as the mastermind behind this scheme. Goto retrieved the bag before fleeing with another member of the group, named Youssou. After their crime, the group met in Bargny to divide the loot.

The two defendants, however, specified that no physical violence was used against the victim.

The shopkeeper claims to have lost 6 million CFA francs and gold jewelry

In court, the plaintiff maintained that she had been robbed of 6 million CFA francs and gold jewelry that she had kept in a bag on the back seat of her vehicle. She explained that she had received a check for 4 million CFA francs, which she cashed at the bank around 3:00 p.m. It was while returning to her vehicle that she sensed the presence of an individual nearby. Turning around, she saw him taking her bag.

“I shouted ‘Thief!’ He then threw the bag to his friend,” she recounted, specifying that the perpetrators were traveling on three motorcycles. She chased them to the roundabout near the Lat Dior stadium before losing them. She then filed a complaint at the Parcelles-Assainies police station in Thiès. She also revealed that before the robbery, an individual had followed her into the bank premises.

15 years imprisonment requested

Believing that the facts are consistent, the lawyer for the civil party asked the chamber to declare the defendants guilty and to sentence them to pay 10 million CFA francs in damages.

The public prosecutor, for his part, considered that the victim's statements were corroborated by the confessions of the two defendants. According to the prosecution, each had played a specific role in carrying out the plan. He thus concluded that conspiracy was established, as the accused had worked together to orchestrate the robbery. Consequently, the prosecution requested 15 years' imprisonment for both defendants.

The defense argues for the charges to be dismissed.

The defense lawyers, Sy, Faty, Diallo, and Ayi, contested the attribution of the acts to the two defendants and challenged the charge of criminal conspiracy. According to them, no prior agreement between the accused had been proven.

For Mr. Sy, who is defending Mr. Diop, his client's mere presence at the scene and the fact that he received part of the loot are insufficient to establish his direct participation in the robbery. He argued that his client remained on his motorcycle throughout the incident and requested that the robbery charge be reduced to receiving stolen goods, as well as a lenient application of the law. His colleague, Mr. Faty, concurred.

Regarding SM Ndiaye, lawyers Diallo and Ayi argued that distracting the victim did not make their client the principal perpetrator of the theft. They instead pleaded complicity in the theft and asked the court to reclassify the charges accordingly.

The verdict is scheduled for December 14, 2026.