Ousmane Sonko‘s lawyers filed, on Friday, the ruling contesting the decision of the criminal chamber of the Supreme Court to validate the decision of the Court of Appeal condemning their client, for defamation, to six months suspended and 200 million CFA francs to be paid to Mame Mbaye Niang, civil party, as damages. “They had until February 5 to refer the matter to the combined chambers of the High Court,” reports Les Échos, which provides the information.
The newspaper reports that the advice of the president of Pastef “raised four grounds including the refusal of the judge of the first criminal chamber to transmit the file to the Constitutional Council, in relation to the exception of unconstitutionality raised, and the decision of the judge Abdourahmane Diouf to overturn (the decision of the Court of Appeal) without remanding. The president of the criminal chamber of the Supreme Court had in fact recognized that the Court of Appeal had erroneously established the constraint by body, which does not apply in matters of political offense. But instead of referring the case to another composition of the Court of Appeal, he corrected his colleague’s error and validated the other aspects of his judgment.
Sonko’s lawyers contest this option. They are counting on the combined chambers of the Supreme Court to win their case. In this case, the case will be examined by the second chamber of the High Court. If they are dismissed, the conviction of their client in the case between him and Mame Mbaye Niang will be final.
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