Dakar — Public prosecutor Serigne Bassirou Guèye announced on Wednesday the opening of a "full and thorough investigation" into the Petro-Tim affair following allegations of corruption contained in a BBC report and targeting Aliou Sall. , brother of the Head of State Macky Sall, in the context of contracts for the exploitation of oil and gas discovered on the Grande Côte.

Speaking at a press conference, he called on anyone with any information relating to this case to help uncover the truth.

"All these oil and gas experts, analysts and connoisseurs who are agitating on television sets and through social networks thus have an opportunity to direct their efforts towards the Criminal Investigations Division (DIC) for, at this indeed, speak officially on the issue and enlighten the Senegalese," said Serigne Bassirou Guèye.

The Public Prosecutor said he seized the DIC as well as the Gendarmerie's research section to put an end to these rumors and comments relating to the oil and gas contracts, following the publication of the BBC documentary.

The DIC, as far as it is concerned, "should hear from anyone who has a document or some knowledge of these supposed oil and gas contracts," said the prosecutor.

As for the Gendarmerie's research section, "it is called upon to carry out investigations into the identity of the author of this report from the General State Inspectorate (IGE) as well as the conditions for its disclosure", according to the prosecutor.

Serigne Bassirou Guèye also indicates that this report which circulates in the media and which "has not reached the competent authority, should not be found in the public square until it has been declassified".

"This call for witnesses will spare no one and will not neglect any testimony to facilitate the manifestation of the truth", insisted in particular the prosecutor.

Concerning Mayeni Jones, the BBC journalist author of the investigation published by the British channel, the prosecutor declares that if she does not appear on her own to testify, a summons will be sent to her.

"Anyone cited in this case will be heard, including Frank Timis and Aliou Sall," he said, ensuring he had "every elbow room to conduct a full and thorough investigation".

Serigne Bassirou Guèye also recalled that he was not placing himself in a perspective of "arrest" or "intimidation", but rather that he was guided by the concern to help in the manifestation of the truth on this affair. .

The BBC report claims to show how Frank Timis's company had its authorization withdrawn and then reassigned after current President Macky Sall came to power.

The BBC also claims that Frank Timis' group holdings were bought by oil giant BP in 2017 for $250 million, along with royalties of some $10 billion over 40 years. BP assured to have carried out all the necessary verifications as regards ethics before signing this contract.

The BBC film quotes a payment in the amount of 250,000 dollars, or 146 million CFA francs intended for the company Agritans Sarl which would have belonged to Aliou Sall, presented as a facilitator of Frank Timis of Timis Corporation for the allocation of operating contracts.

In response, the Senegalese government released a memorandum in which it maintains that the English media "advances, without any basis, the surreal figure of 10 billion dollars that the Senegalese state would have lost in a transaction between two private companies, relative to the two aforementioned blocks".

"This figure is purely imaginary. It does not correspond to any economic and financial reality of the project, even less to any loss of future income for the State of Senegal", can we read in the memorandum published on this subject.