Senegalese website “Xalima” revealed that Karim Wade, son of the former president, who is convicted on corruption charges, could be relying on the help of  Qatar’s Attorney General, Ali bin Fetais Al Marri, who made many flights between Doha and Dakar.

Franco-Senegalese 50 years old, Karim Wade is the only son of Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. As a former business banker in London, Karim Wade joined his father as economic advisor before taking the lead of 'a suspicious special agency' accused of embezzlement, the ANOCI (National Agency for the Organization of the Islamic Conference). The agency's sole purpose was to prepare the 2008 conference of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Dakar and the funding that went with it.

According to confidential documents from the US Embassy in Senegal: "It is widely believed that Karim has diverted a significant amount of funds. In the diplomatic world, Karim is now known as Monsieur 15% (after having been Mr 10% at the beginning of 2007)".

Karim Wade had approached the Attorney General while he was still at the head of ANOCI. At that time, rumors of Wade clan’s secret funding of election campaigns were widespread in diplomatic circles.

Qatar is well known to finance politicians abroad, especially in France, so it was not really a surprise to see Dr. Al Marri disembark in a private jet in Dakar in June 2016 to recover Karim Wade, after his brief incarceration. 

As the press has revealed in recent months, the Qatar’s Attorney General is the subject of many controversies: private accounts at the National Bank of Kuwait, suspicious assets in Paris and Geneva for several tens of millions of euros and his support to close Al Qaeda members.

In this context, is the friendship between Karim Wade and Dr. Al Marri really surprising? Al Marri, known for being a clever businessman, could he have been associated in suspicious business with the former banker Karim Wade?