From the Mboro robbery to the purchase of Tabaski sheep: The disconcerting confessions of four defendants in court

Four men, I. Sène, S. Camara, A. Sall, and SB Faye, appeared before the criminal chamber of the Thiès High Court on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. They are being prosecuted for conspiracy, armed robbery committed with the use of vehicles, and money laundering. They are accused of assaulting BG Seck before stealing 4,099,000 CFA francs and an iPhone. The events date back to 2024 and took place in Mboro.

The defendants confessed.

In court, I. Sène partially admitted to the facts, while denying the use of weapons during the operation. He explained that the plan had been thoroughly discussed among the group members after an individual provided them with information about the victim. This individual had revealed that BG Seck worked for a quarrying company in Mboro and was in the habit of carrying large sums of money.

The day after this meeting, the accused left Thiès on two motorcycles to carry out the attack. Arriving at the location around 5:00 PM, they positioned themselves in a secluded spot to wait for their target. When BG Seck arrived on his motorcycle, I. Sène approached him, feigning that he had run out of gas and asking for fuel. This diversion allowed the other members of the group to appear and attack him.

The victim was subdued before his bag, containing 4,099,000 CFA francs and his iPhone, could be taken. After the robbery, they threw the phone into the bush and then divided the loot. Each of the four robbers received 815,000 CFA francs, as did the informant who had provided them with the information. This fifth suspect, a minor at the time of the crime, was tried in juvenile court.

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When questioned about how they used the loot, the defendants gave revealing accounts of their spending. I. Sène stated that he bought a motorcycle with his share. S. Camara claimed to have invested in cement and iron for the construction of his house. As for A. Sall and SB Faye, they maintained that they each bought a sheep for Tabaski (Eid al-Adha).

Despite their respective criminal records, the defendants attempted to downplay their actions. S. Camara, in particular, maintained that they were not aggressors, explaining their behavior by "social pressure".

This version contrasts with the victim's statements during the preliminary investigation. BG Seck had claimed that his attackers were armed with machetes which they brandished at the time of the attack, specifying that he fled to save his life.

The victim is in Morocco to try to repay the money

Speaking on behalf of the plaintiff, Mr. Faty denounced the defendants' attitude, arguing that they had displayed a certain audacity before the criminal court. The lawyer explained the victim's absence from the hearing by citing her current residence in Morocco, where she emigrated in the hope of finding a way to repay the stolen sum.

According to the civil party's defense, the 4,099,000 CFA francs actually belonged to a third party, I. Seck. Attorney Faty therefore asked the court to sentence the accused to imprisonment and order them to pay 3 million CFA francs to the victim, BG Seck, and 6 million CFA francs to the owner of the funds, I. Seck, as damages.

7 years imprisonment requested

In his submissions, the public prosecutor argued that the elements constituting a criminal conspiracy were fully present. He specifically noted the prior consultation between the defendants, their joint travel to the scene, and their collective participation in the operation.

The public prosecutor, however, requested that the charge of armed robbery committed by a group using both weapons and means of transportation be reclassified as armed robbery committed by a group using means of transportation, arguing that the use of weapons was not sufficiently established. He nevertheless maintained the charges of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, before requesting a seven-year prison sentence.

For their part, the defense lawyers, Messrs. Sène, Sonko, Niang, Diallo, and Ndior, pleaded for leniency. They urged the court to give their clients a second chance, emphasizing that the latter had admitted their mistake in court and expressed remorse.

The criminal chamber adjourned the case for deliberation until December 14, 2026.