Thiès: A couple's legal battle is torn apart by visa fraud accusations

The investigation opened in February 2026 by the Nguinth police station (Thiès) sheds light on a deep-seated dispute between an emigrant living in France and his wife. Amid accusations of visa fraud, abandonment of the marital home, and suspicions of using forged documents, the two sides of the story clashed in court.

The case was heard on July 7, 2026 by the Thiès Criminal Court and adjourned for deliberation until October 13, 2026. Considering that the facts are established, the public prosecutor requested the application of the criminal law.

The defense, represented by Mr. Alioune Séne, requested the acquittal of his client, without penalty or costs. According to him, this is a dispute between spouses concerning family finances and not a criminal matter.

Conversely, the lawyer for the civil party, Mr. Famara Faty, convinced that fraud was clearly established, demanded the sum of 50 million FCFA in compensation for all the damages suffered.

According to the investigation, the events began following a complaint filed by PS Diédhiou, a business owner residing in France since 2007. Religiously married on May 7, 2022 at the Nguinth mosque to A. Diagne, the complainant claims to have experienced a profound disillusionment.

According to his statements to investigators, his wife suddenly broke off all contact after learning of his return to Senegal. Upon his arrival on November 29, 2025, he claims to have found that A. Diagne had left the marital home, taking various professional cleaning equipment with him. Even more seriously, he maintains that the marriage was never consummated and is now demanding reimbursement of a total sum estimated at 25 million CFA francs, covering the cost of his wife's studies as well as the expenses incurred for his planned trip to Europe.

The man provided investigators with two pieces of evidence of money transfers made via Wave. He mentioned an initial payment of 6 million FCFA in 2023 intended to bring his wife to France, a project that he claims ended in a fraudulent scheme by smugglers. He also stated that he sent 4.5 million FCFA on July 16, 2025, after A. Diagne assured him he had a privileged contact, presented as the chief of staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who could facilitate obtaining a visa. He claims he later discovered that the chief of staff was actually a woman, thus contradicting his wife's statements.

The wife's version

Heard on February 20, 2026, A. Diagne, a specialist in law and accounting, categorically rejected the accusations of fraud and breach of trust. She admitted to leaving the marital home to live with her father, but denied taking the cleaning equipment. She also denied receiving the 6 million FCFA paid in 2023.

Regarding the travel plans, she accuses her husband of having insisted on making her travel by providing her with false documents, including a marriage certificate issued in the name of a third party and a residence permit belonging to another person, on which he allegedly affixed his photograph.

After her first attempt to travel with these false documents failed, she claims that her husband authorized her to initiate a regular procedure for Canada through a man named O. Diop. According to her, this file is still pending at the embassy.

Regarding tuition fees, she disputes the amounts claimed by her husband. She maintains that he only financed one year of training, his Bachelor Pro at ISM, for an amount of 900,000 FCFA, and not 4.5 million FCFA as he claims.

Finally, she claims that her husband officially repudiated her in front of her mother in December 2025, on the grounds that he allegedly had intimate videos of her on his phone.

An investigation with unanswered questions

During the confrontation held on February 26, 2026, each spouse remained steadfast in their position. The husband submitted his transaction history, his lease agreement, and a bailiff's report which, according to him, established his abandonment of the marital home. For her part, A. Diagne provided investigators with documents she claimed were forged papers supplied by her husband, as well as her school records.

The investigation, however, was hampered by the lack of key witnesses. The salesman O. Diop could not be reached, while A. Diagne's mother did not respond to the investigators' summons.