The Dakar Criminal Court heard a case on November 27, 2025, between former Energy Minister Samuel Amété Sarr and businessman Cheikh Amadou Amar. In this case, Samuel Sarr accuses Cheikh Amar of forgery and use of forged documents related to commerce and banking, while Cheikh Amadou Amar has filed a complaint against Sarr for breach of trust involving 2 billion CFA francs. The case was adjourned again at the request of Cheikh Amar's lawyers, who submitted a medical certificate for their client. After several minutes of discussion regarding the possibility of postponing the trial, the judge decided to adjourn the case to a special hearing on April 30, 2026.

Alongside his legal counsel, including Cheikh Amadou Ndiaye, Abou Dialy Kane, Baboucar Cissé, Dionewar Soumaré, and others, Samuel Sarr appeared ready for the proceedings. Dressed entirely in beige, he displayed a calm demeanor and held a stack of evidence. However, the presence of prominent witnesses, including two former ministers of state, was noted, as well as a statement from former President Abdoulaye Wade regarding the case.

The outlines of history

According to the committal order issued by investigating judge Mamadou Seck, then head of the 2nd chamber, on October 15, 2021, Cheikh Amar filed a complaint with the Dakar prosecutor's office against Samuel Amété Sarr for breach of trust. He specified that Sarr had received 2,000,000,000 CFA francs from him to deliver to former President Abdoulaye Wade, in his name and on his behalf. However, since receiving the money, Samuel Sarr had failed to provide the necessary receipts for Mr. Wade.

According to Sheikh Amar, after several interrogations, Samuel Sarr eventually claimed that the sum had been distributed among various religious, political, judicial, and other authorities, without providing any supporting documentation. Samuel refuted this.

When questioned by investigators from the Dakar Research Brigade, Cheikh Amar explained that during 2013-2014, he had been approached by Samuel Sarr, who had informed him of President Abdoulaye Wade's financial difficulties before offering to assist him due to their prior relationship. Believing him, he had given him two billion CFA francs, which Samuel Sarr claimed to have delivered to President Wade.

According to Amar, when he questioned President Wade, the latter maintained that he had received nothing from Samuel Sarr. When questioned again, Sarr stated that he had not given the money directly to President Wade but had redistributed it according to his instructions. He even produced a list of beneficiaries, which was verified by his two witnesses and Mr. Seydou Diagne.

Dissatisfied with the explanations and documents provided, Cheikh Amar filed a complaint. He also stated that he had, at one point, had difficulty contacting President Wade to verify that the money had actually been transferred. This is why he had suggested to Samuel Sarr that the installments be deposited directly into President Wade's bank account, but the latter had refused this method of payment.

When questioned, Samuel Amété Sarr stated that Cheikh Amar owed President Wade 7,935,000,000 CFA francs and that in 2013, the latter had given him a mandate to recover this sum. However, Cheikh Amar then cited financial difficulties and requested a payment plan. An agreement was thus reached for an initial repayment of two billion CFA francs. Amar was to provide four bank drafts as guarantees: three for five hundred million (500,000,000) CFA francs each, one for four hundred million (400,000,000) CFA francs, and one hundred million CFA francs in cash.

According to Samuel Sarr, the 100 million CFA francs had been handed over to President Wade against a receipt. The drafts, however, had never been deposited, as Amar always gave him the money in cash, and as soon as the amount of a draft was reached, it was crossed out. According to Samuel, he then transferred the funds to President Wade or spent them according to his instructions. In 2018, the latter returned to Senegal to claim his remaining 5,935,000,000 CFA francs and filed a lawsuit against Amar, forcibly seizing his 127,807 m² plot of land, located in Dakar Ouakam and registered under land title number 1447/NGA of Ngor Almadies.

Samuel Sarr denied having approached Amar personally, claiming he acted on the basis of a letter from President Wade dated June 27, 2013. He also maintained that the bills of exchange were issued as collateral and that payments were to be made in cash. He added that the mortgage validation application filed by Wade's lawyers proved that the president had received the sums claimed by Amar.

Accused of breach of trust, Samuel Sarr refutes the accusation

During the investigation, the civil party reiterated its statements, explaining that its relationship with President Wade was complex and that the objective of the procedure was to obtain from Samuel Sarr proof that he had actually handed over the sums received, and not the other way around.

Samuel Sarr indicated that his lawyers had filed nine annexes to justify the use of the funds, while contesting that he was the author of an undated discharge mentioning a loan of two billion granted by Cheikh Amar to President Wade.

During the confrontation, both parties maintained their statements, while mutually contesting the evidence presented.

On April 8, 2022, Samuel Sarr filed a complaint with a civil claim against Cheikh Amar for attempted extortion, forgery and use of forged private commercial or banking documents, and slanderous denunciation. He maintained that Amar was using this procedure to extort money from him. He asserted that the receipt produced was fake, containing an error in his first name and a crude imitation of his signature.

Sheikh Amar charged with extortion…

Charged with extortion, forgery and use of forged private commercial or banking documents, and slanderous denunciation, Cheikh Amar denies the charges. He claimed to be the sole victim, believing that Samuel Sarr had personally used the money intended for President Wade, before initiating a spurious legal procedure to further tarnish his image. On June 27, 2022, the investigating judge issued a consolidating order for the two proceedings, which were found to be related.