The Mbour High Court has delivered its verdict in a bizarre case involving assault, battery, and destruction of property on a construction site in Nguerigne. The incident dates back to May 29, 2025, amid tensions between two engineers and a group of real estate agents.

The conflict arose over a project to build four luxury villas entrusted to engineer PD Thiam by real estate agent V. Merianna. The latter claims to have invested nearly 200 million CFA francs without seeing any significant progress on the work. To verify the condition of the construction site, he commissioned the company Veritas, but Mr. Thiam allegedly refused his agents access to the site. Feeling aggrieved, Mr. Merianna decided to terminate the contract.

The situation escalated on May 29, when Merianna returned to the construction site accompanied by several individuals, including H. Boutaleb and C. Sané. According to engineer Thiam, they allegedly ransacked the facilities, destroyed equipment valued at over 12 million CFA francs, and threw stones at his car. He says he was brutally attacked and narrowly escaped death.

Her colleague, AS Diallo, testified that she found Merianna destroying the building. A violent altercation ensued. She admitted to biting one of the protagonists, H. Boutaleb, explaining that she acted in self-defense after being strangled.

For their part, the defendants dispute these accusations and maintain that Mr. Thiam provoked the fight, blocking access to the construction site since April, despite the breakdown of their collaboration.

The court acquitted Y. Samb, who was charged with disturbing the peace and carrying a weapon, but who did not appear in court. However, V. Merianna, H. Boutaleb, and C. Sané were found guilty of assault and battery and sentenced to three months in prison, suspended. They will have to pay 2,500,000 CFA francs in damages to PD Thiam and 300,000 CFA francs to AS Diallo, with provisional execution.

As for PD Thiam and AS Diallo, they were also found guilty and sentenced to one month in prison, suspended, with the payment of 800,000 CFA francs in damages, also with provisional execution.