Chief suspect in student murder case released

Charges have been dropped against a policeman arrested as the principal suspect in connection with the death of student Bassirou Faye during violent confrontations at the University Cheikh Anta Diop, or UCAD, in August 2014. Another officer is expected to stand trial in October.

Tombong Waly had been held in preventive detention since last year, the chief suspect and first police officer to be charged following the shooting of Faye.

He has always claimed his innocence, but was due to go on trial in October following an order from the Dakar public prosecutor – until this month’s reversal from a senior examining magistrate.

In January two other police officers, Sidy Mohamed Boughaleb and Saliou N’dao, were also held on suspicion of the murder, reported Dakaractu at the time.

Now the senior examining magistrate, Mahawa Sémou Diouf, has dismissed the cases against Waly and N’dao and ruled that Boughaleb alone should face charges for the murder of Faye, reported Sud Quotidien of Dakar.

Sud Quotidien said Waly had not fitted the description given by a student witness of the policeman who had shot Faye, which had more closely resembled Boughaleb; and Faye’s family had not believed Waly was the perpetrator.

The trial of Boughaleb is likely to take place in October, reported Actusenegal.net. However, said Sud Quotidien, friends of Boughaleb claim he had been injured and left the campus before the murder of Faye.

The affair disrupted the visit last month of President Macky Sall to UCAD, when students demonstrated violently, demanding justice and action over Faye’s death.

* This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.