The Dakar Magistrates’ Court has deferred the verdict in the case involving the alleged forgery of former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko‘s signature until 23 July 2026. Initially scheduled for 9 July 2026, the ruling was postponed due to the absence of Cherif Zeyni Abidin Sy, identified as a suspected accomplice in the case.
The court also rejected the provisional release request of Khardiata Tandian, the defendant in the case. Despite her legal team’s arguments that she met all conditions for provisional freedom—citing her prolonged pre-trial detention of over a year, her marital status, and motherhood—the judge sided with the prosecution. Her defense had contended that the time already served could cover potential penalties and that further detention would severely disrupt her social life.
Khardiata Tandian has been held in preventive custody throughout the proceedings. Her lawyers emphasized that there was no risk of witness tampering, as she had already testified in court. However, the prosecutor maintained that her release would pose a threat to public order and that she did not provide sufficient guarantees to ensure her appearance in future hearings. Consequently, the court upheld the prosecution’s objections, and the defendant remains detained pending the final resolution of the case.
