The judge of the Ziguinchor District Court yesterday took the decision to restore Ousmane Sonko’s civil rights by pronouncing the cancellation of his removal from the electoral lists.

By Mamadou Ticko Diatta – The verdict fell around 10:30 p.m. The judge in charge of the case relating to the removal of Ousmane Sonko from the voters’ lists has made his decision. Sabassy Faye, in fact, yesterday canceled the removal of Ousmane Sonko from the electoral lists. This decision by the Ziguinchor District Court effectively restores the leader of the dissolved party, Pastef, to his civil rights. “They tried to make it seem like he was duly disbarred, but the judge said whatever was done is null and void. And, the judge asked the competent services of the Ministry of the Interior to reinstate him and include him on the lists so that he can, like all Senegalese who claim to lead this country, go and “compete” in view of the presidential election,” reacted Me Joseph Etienne Ndione of Ousmane Sonko’s lawyers’ collective, at the end of the trial.

Ousmane Sonko’s lawyers are satisfied with the outcome of the trial and the verdict that was rendered. “As of today (yesterday), Ousmane Sonko should be able to start sponsorship,” argued Me Ciré Clédor Ly.

“We do not share this decision of the judge, because this decision was rendered in scandalous conditions,” reacted Me Abdou Dialy Kane, one of the state’s lawyers. According to Me Kane, since this morning, there has been talk of the recusal of this judge Sabassy Faye. “We were motivated by a legitimate suspicion, to the extent that it was noted that this judge had a brother who was deputy mayor at the town hall of Ziguinchor,” testifies the black dress. Me Abdou D. Kane continues: “Here is a judge who was not in a position to be impartial, but what is revolting in all this is that you are witnesses to what we began to argue this file from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m.

And this judge took the liberty of rendering a decision in 5 minutes.” For him, Judge Sabassy Faye was not able to analyze all the arguments that were developed by both parties in rendering his decision in 5 minutes. “Which makes us think that when he started this hearing, he already had a prefabricated decision. And that is scandalous,” proclaims the lawyer. According to him, the State will appeal to the Court of Cassation regarding the decision rendered by the Ziguinchor District Court, because it was established that Mr. Ousmane Sonko was time-barred. “It is foreclosed. The act was notified to him on September 19, he did not file his appeal until October 4 even though the law gave him a period of 5 days. As a result, it was completely time-barred, and this is the reason why we are going to appeal to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court will decide between us,” says Mr. Kane.
mdiatta@lequotidien.sn