The hunt for Jakarta drivers in Thiès: The prosecutor is demanding a 10-year prison sentence for the accomplice of "Papa Rey Bopou"

Young S. Baldé, residing in the Diakhao district of Thiès, appeared this Monday, July 13, before the criminal chamber of the High Court of Thiès for acts of criminal association and robbery committed at night with the use of a weapon.

According to the prosecution, on the night of March 17, 2022, around 10:40 p.m., motorcycle taxi drivers Jakarta A. Fall and M. Diallo agreed to give a ride to a man who had asked them for a ticket. Upon arriving in a quiet area of ​​the Dixième district, they were surrounded by several individuals also on motorcycles. Armed with knives and clubs, the assailants violently attacked them before robbing them of their belongings.

Alerted shortly after the events, police officers from the 1st Arrondissement Police Station in Thiès went to the scene and arrested S. Baldé, who was found near the scene.

During the investigation, the accused admitted his involvement in the events. He stated that he acted with several accomplices under the orders of a certain "Papa Rey Bopou," presented as the leader of the group and in charge of reselling the stolen motorcycles.

He explained that the group had rented two motorcycles before ambushing Jakarta drivers in the Dixième district. He also admitted to stabbing one of the victims while his accomplices subdued the other with clubs. According to his initial statements, the gang consisted of six people and had already committed similar attacks in the Keur Mor Ndiaye and Diakhao neighborhoods.

The victims confirmed they were attacked by a group of approximately six armed individuals. Mr. Diallo stated he was stabbed in the right side and struck on the arm with a club, his assailants stealing a red satchel containing 47,000 FCFA. A. Fall indicated he tried to resist before being struck on the right arm with a club. The assailants then left with his Jakarta motorcycle, valued at an estimated 400,000 FCFA.

As part of the investigation, on April 25, 2022, investigators arrested A. Bâ, alias Mbarodi, suspected of involvement in the case. He denied any participation, however, claiming to know neither S. Baldé nor the man known as "Papa Rey Bopou."

Before the investigating judge, S. Baldé partially recanted his initial statements. After attempting to downplay his role, he finally admitted to being present at the scene and belonging to the group involved, while identifying "Papa Rey Bopou" as the organizer of the operation. Re-interviewed, the victims maintained their accusations against S. Baldé but specified that they had never identified A. Bâ among their attackers.

In court on Monday, S. Baldé ultimately denied all the charges. He maintained that he had been arrested near the scene, but had not participated in the assault.

In his closing argument, the public prosecutor stated that the victims' statements, corroborated by the confessions obtained during the investigation, sufficiently established S. Baldé's involvement in the events. He asked the court to find him guilty and requested a 10-year prison sentence.

The defense, for its part, requested the acquittal of the accused, or failing that, the benefit of the doubt, considering that his mere presence near the scene of the attack could not constitute sufficient proof of his participation in the events.

The case has been adjourned for deliberation and will be decided on July 27, 2026.