Thiès: Two men accused of robbing Wave of 54 million FCFA face life imprisonment.

Two men, A. Diallo and O. Seck, appeared before the criminal chamber of the High Court of Thiès to answer charges of criminal association and robbery in a group committed with violence, use of weapons and means of transport, following a spectacular robbery that took place on March 20, 2024 at a Wave money transfer point.

According to the prosecution, around 9:45 a.m., the manager of the Wave outlet, EA Kane, had just received 100 million FCFA from the company SAGAM. Shortly after the courier left, a group of hooded individuals, traveling on motorcycles and armed with machetes, stormed the premises. The assailants violently attacked the manager, inflicting several injuries before stealing 54 million FCFA.

Alerted, the members of the Thiès Research Brigade found traces of blood, scattered banknotes, and a motorcycle abandoned by the perpetrators during their escape, which was hastened by the intervention of security guards and passers-by.

The investigation identified the motorcycle as belonging to A. Diallo. Investigators notably found the vehicle registration certificate (CMC) on the motorcycle, which led them to its presumed owner.

Another motorcycle used in the robbery was found in front of O. Seck's home. During the search, investigators say they seized a pair of white shoes similar to those worn by one of the assailants filmed by surveillance cameras.

In court, the two defendants categorically denied the accusations.

A. Diallo maintained that the motorcycle he had bought from Ibrahima Sène was an older model gray Beverly 125, while the one seized by investigators was a black Beverly 300 Tourer. "I am not involved in this robbery in any way," he stated.

For his part, O. Seck claimed he was never at the scene of the events. "The person seen in the CCTV footage is not me. Contrary to what has been claimed, nothing was seized at my home," he maintained.

Heard as a victim, security guard K. Touré explained that it was impossible for him to formally identify the attackers, as they were wearing balaclavas. "They were armed with knives and machetes. I fought with them and they injured my foot. Since then, I haven't had normal use of my foot," he testified, claiming 1.5 million FCFA in damages.

Manager EA Kane also stated that he was unable to identify all the attackers because of their balaclavas. However, he affirmed that during the struggle, O. Seck's balaclava fell off, allowing him to identify him.

Wave Senegal's lawyer argued that the evidence in the case was sufficient to establish the guilt of the two defendants. According to him, the motorcycle abandoned at the scene belonged to A. Diallo, while the shoes found at O. Seck's residence matched those seen in the CCTV footage. He requested 90 million CFA francs in damages.

In his indictment, the public prosecutor considered that the theft was materially established and that the evidence gathered made it possible to attribute the facts to the two accused.

He noted in particular that the CCTV images, the CMC found on the abandoned motorcycle, the statements collected during the investigation, the discovery of the shoes during the search, and the simultaneous switching off of the two defendants' phones at the time of the robbery constituted a body of concordant evidence.

The public prosecutor thus requested life imprisonment for A. Diallo and O. Seck for criminal association and robbery committed with violence, use of weapons and means of transport.

In their defense, Mr. Sy argued that no law prohibits a person from turning off their cell phone and that this fact alone could not constitute proof of guilt. He also maintained that the presence of shoes similar to those seen in the CCTV footage did not allow for the formal identification of his client, in the absence of scientific evidence such as DNA analysis or fingerprints. The lawyer therefore requested the acquittal of the two defendants based on reasonable doubt.

At the end of the hearing, the case was adjourned for deliberation and will be decided on July 27, 2026.