Affaire LONASE : Les secrets de l’arrêt ordonnant la liberté provisoire sous surveillance de Lat Diop
On August 12, 2025, the Financial Indictment Chamber of the Dakar Court of Appeal issued judgment no. 62, granting provisional release to Lat Diop, former director general of the Senegalese National Lottery (LONASE), prosecuted for embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, and extortion. After nearly a year of pretrial detention since September 2024, the Chamber opted for house arrest with electronic monitoring, rejecting unconditional release. However, the Attorney General appealed, keeping Lat Diop in prison pending the Supreme Court's decision.
Back to the facts
The case began with a complaint from Mouhamed Dieng, director of Services Online International SA (operator of 1XBET), accusing Lat Diop of establishing an opaque royalty system between 2021 and 2023. According to Dieng, the former CEO increased the contractual royalty from 18% to 30%, paying 18% to LONASE and personally pocketing the remaining 12%, or more than 8.2 billion CFA francs. Added to this are suspicions of non-payment of 381 million CFA francs in stamp duty, the discovery of 694 million CFA francs in his bank accounts, and assets deemed disproportionate, including buildings, companies, and a pleasure boat. Lat Diop denies these accusations, claiming that his relationship with 1XBET was professional and that his assets stem from more than 20 years of service at the Ministry of Finance.
A bitter procedural battle
Since his indictment in September 2024, Lat Diop, defended by Messrs. Cheikh Amadou Ndiaye, Seydou Diagne, Baboucar Cissé, Alioune Badara Fall, Souleymane Soumaré and others, has filed numerous appeals. An initial request for provisional release, rejected in February 2025 by the financial investigating judge, was followed by a favorable decision by the Indictment Chamber in March 2025, ordering house arrest with an electronic bracelet. This decision was overturned by the Supreme Court in June 2025. In July 2025, a new request was rejected, but in August, the defense again appealed to the Indictment Chamber, contesting the classification of embezzlement. The defense argues that no complaint came from the State or LONASE, that no missing items were noted in the company's accounts, that 1XBET's funds are not public funds after distribution, and that the accounting report of May 9, 2025, is tainted with irregularities, notably by the absence of an adversarial process and premature conclusions. On the other hand, the financial prosecutor's office and the State Judicial Agent (AJE) maintain that the embezzled funds are public funds, that the parallel fee system allowed for personal enrichment, and that risks of collusion with a key witness (the former driver) and the disappearance of evidence justify continued detention.
Reasons for the decision
In its decision No. 62, the Indictments Chamber ruled that the disputes regarding the misappropriation of public funds are "very serious," as already noted in March 2025. It considered that the expert report, which was incomplete and non-contradictory, failed to dispel these doubts. However, due to the ongoing investigation and the risk of pressure on witnesses or the disappearance of evidence, the Chamber ruled out outright release. Invoking Article 138-7 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it opted for house arrest with an electronic bracelet as an alternative to detention.
Commentaires (6)
Ah porter presse et groupes de pression envers la Justice. Ces juges financiers sont invincibles face à ses manœuvres.
Ça ne sert à rien de vouloir présenter Lat diop comme une sorte d’innocent
Il est représentatif du gangstérisme qui a régné sous Maky Sall
Ceux qui connaissent bien Lat savent qu’il est mouillé jusqu’au cou
Manipulation rék. Depuis le début, la justice ne convoque jamais quelqu’un qui n’a rien commis. Surtout lui qui n’a aucun politique depuis l’arrivée de Sonko la justice n’est pas telecommandée pour detruire un opposant. Le gars tente de manipuler en utilisant le mouridisme. Un fonctionnaire ne peut pas faire des largesses avec les derniers publics et avoir la conscience tranquille. Ils sont tous comptable de toute cette dette cachée qui a plombé les finances publiques.
Ils sont sans scrupule et n’ont honte de rien. Ils peuvent même utiliser la religion pour manipuler l’opinion. Un vrai mouride ne profite pas de l’argent public pour se faire un patrimoine et corrompre des personnes. Tous les insulteurs et salopards de Benno de même que la fameuse clé usb portent son image.
Pour avoir 694 millions en 20 ans, il faut épargner chaque mois 2 892 000. J’aurais compris si on avait invoqué un héritage, des enfants prodiges, un travail d’expert national ou international, etc. Mais un salaire qui permet d’épargner 2,8 millions et ce dès le premier mois de carrière, ou alors beaucoup plus si on commence à épargner plus tard, il faut être très fort! Surtout si cela ne semble qu’une goutte dans son patrimoine. Si un juge pense qu’un fonctionnaire peut avoir tout ça sans problème, je regrette amèrement mes 32 ans de carrière de cadre dans le privé, dont 14 ans de directeur achats et logistique dans une grande société.
Demande à ton groupe de déclarer sa patrimoine
Demande à ton gourou de déclarer sa patrimoine
Doudou Diop khamouma mbokou Lat Diop nga wala deet mais bouniou fowanto waye. On s'en fout de ce criminel financier
A pastef yoy ?
On dit son patrimoine pas sa patrimoine , a deux reprises tu ecris la meme chose cela veut dire que tu es un nullard , vous etes prompt a critiquer alors que xamoulene dara .
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