Dakar’s criminal court has postponed the verdict in the case involving the alleged falsification of former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s signature, involving Khardiata Tandian, to July 23, 2026. The initial hearing, scheduled for July 9, 2026, was adjourned due to the absence of Cherif Zeyni Abidin Sy, identified as her alleged accomplice.
The court also denied Khardiata Tandian’s request for provisional release. Her legal team argued that she met all prerequisites for such a measure, highlighting her prolonged preventive detention of over a year, her married status, and her role as a mother to a young child. The defense emphasized that the time already spent in custody could potentially cover the maximum sentence she might face, adding that further incarceration would severely disrupt her social life.
Prosecutors strongly contested the release bid, asserting that Khardiata Tandian’s freedom would pose a risk to public order and that she did not provide sufficient guarantees of appearing for trial. The defense countered that there was no risk of witness tampering, as the accused had already testified in court. Despite these arguments, the tribunal sided with the prosecution’s stance, leaving Khardiata Tandian in detention pending the case’s resolution.
