Senegal: ARTP, Abdoulaye Wade and Expresso tainted by FCfa8 billion financial scandal

(Agence Ecofin) - According to an audit led by the Court of Auditors on the Telecommunications and Post Regulation Authority (ARTP), it appears that the telecom regulator gave away the sum of FCfa 8,012,003,232 to the telecom operator Expresso, subsidiary of Sudatel.

The money covers invoices on radio frequency fees that Expresso was meant to pay to ARTP in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Furthermore, we learn that the regulation authority exempted Expresso from making payment on the same fees in 2012 and 2013.

However, the report unveils that the authority did not act on its volition to let slide this important tax revenue. It was acting on the written orders of Moustapha Guirassy (picuted), then minister for Communications, Telecommunications and ICT, who himself acted based on the instructions of the head of state, Abdoulaye Wade.

This is how, in the letter n°00187/Mimcomtel/Dc/Cab/Ct dated 14th December 2011 by Moustapha Guirassy, addressed to Ndongo Diao, then managing director of ARTP, the minister urges the managing director to "take all the necessary measures to grant an exemption on F.H frequencies fees to Expresso Senegal" and " to grant this company, a grace period as was the case for others namely Sonatel and Sentel/Tigo".