The Dakar Criminal Court has deferred its verdict in the signature forgery case involving former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, where Khardiata Tandian stands accused. The initial hearing, scheduled for July 9, 2026, was postponed due to the absence of Cherif Zeyni Abidin Sy, identified as the alleged accomplice of the defendant.
In a parallel decision, the court rejected Khardiata Tandian’s request for provisional release. Her legal team argued that she met all the criteria for bail, citing her prolonged pretrial detention of over a year, her status as a married mother of one child, and the possibility that any potential sentence could be offset by time already served. They emphasized that further incarceration would severely destabilize her personal and social life.
The prosecution strongly contested the release, asserting that Khardiata Tandian’s freedom would pose a risk to public order and that she could not guarantee her presence in court for future proceedings. While her defense countered that no risk of witness intimidation existed since she had already testified, the tribunal ultimately sided with the prosecution’s stance. As a result, Khardiata Tandian remains in custody pending the resolution of the case.