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In Dakar’s city centre, a parcel of land that had once housed the national gendarmerie headquarters, the National Archives and the national dojo was transferred to the real‑estate company Ad Immobilier in a deal that has drawn the attention of a parliamentary inquiry into the state’s patrimony. The transaction, authorised by a decree signed in May 2021 during President Macky Sall’s administration, granted Ad Immobilier a 50‑year emphytéotic lease on the property for an annual rent of 5 million FCFA. The land was valued at 9 billion FCFA, while the construction of a new gendarmerie headquarters on the site was estimated to cost about 5 billion FCFA, leaving a gap of roughly 4 billion FCFA that critics say represents a loss to the state. Elimane Pouye, director general of the state‑owned Sogepa, explained the terms of the exchange to the parliamentary committee. He said that in return for the land, Ad Immobilier would build the new gendarmerie headquarters. The company is controlled by the Peretz family, a group of Israeli businessmen who have been active in Senegal’s defence market. The case resurfaced in 2022 when opposition politician Ousmane Sonko alleged that the state had transferred six parcels of land covering about 5 000 m² in the Plateau to Ad Immobilier for a value he estimated at 7 billion FCFA. Yaya Abdoul Kane, then director general of the state’s built patrimony, defended the deal, stating that the lease was granted in exchange for the construction of the gendarmerie headquarters at the Samba Diéry Diallo barracks and that the rent would be paid by the company during the construction period. The Peretz family’s involvement in Senegal’s defence sector is well documented. Gaby Peretz, an Israeli arms dealer, is described in international investigations as a close associate of former President Macky Sall. He reportedly offered a 300‑million‑euro credit line—about 196 billion FCFA—to the Senegalese army during negotiations for major equipment contracts. His name also appears in connection with a 45 billion FCFA arms contract awarded to a Nigerian company linked to the “Petit Boubé” nickname, signed by former Gaby Peretz employee David Benzaquen. These contracts are currently under scrutiny by authorities. Idan Peretz, identified in 2022 as the owner of Ad Immobilier, has been accused by a disgruntled entrepreneur of extending his influence into high levels of the state and steering contract awards. The entrepreneur also alleged that Ad Con, a sister company of Ad Immobilier, raised 121 billion FCFA through nominal bond certificates issued without bank backing. No judicial decision has confirmed these allegations. Following a change in government, Sogepa offered to reimburse Ad Immobilier 5 billion FCFA to recover the land and redevelop it in partnership with the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. According to Pouye, the company initially accepted the offer but later withdrew after Ousmane Sonko left the Prime Minister’s office. The decree that authorised the lease remains in force, giving the state a solid legal footing. Absent an amicable settlement, the state would need to pursue a lengthy legal process to recover the property, unless it can prove that the original act was obtained irregularly. Key questions that remain unanswered include who initiated the arrangement within the administration, on what basis the land was valued in 2021, whether the defence contracts awarded to the Peretz family were linked to the land concessions, whether the new gendarmerie headquarters was completed to specification, and why Ad Immobilier later retracted its agreement. No member of the Peretz family has been charged in any public judicial proceeding, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Article source: Sene.News | Image credit: Sene.News
In Dakar’s city centre, a parcel of land that had once housed the national gendarmerie headquarters, the National Archives and the national dojo was transferred to the real‑estate company Ad Immobilier in a deal that has drawn the attention of a parliamentary inquiry into the state’s patrimony. The transaction, authorised by a decree signed in May 2021 during President Macky Sall’s administration, granted Ad Immobilier a 50‑year emphytéotic lease on the property for an annual rent of 5 million FCFA. The land was valued at 9 billion FCFA, while the construction of a new gendarmerie headquarters on the site was estimated to cost about 5 billion FCFA, leaving a gap of roughly 4 billion FCFA that critics say represents a loss to the state. Elimane Pouye, director general of the state‑owned Sogepa, explained the terms of the exchange to the parliamentary committee. He said that in return for the land, Ad Immobilier would build the new gendarmerie headquarters. The company is controlled by the Peretz family, a group of Israeli businessmen who have been active in Senegal’s defence market. The case resurfaced in 2022 when opposition politician Ousmane Sonko alleged that the state had transferred six parcels of land covering about 5 000 m² in the Plateau to Ad Immobilier for a value he estimated at 7 billion FCFA. Yaya Abdoul Kane, then director general of the state’s built patrimony, defended the deal, stating that the lease was granted in exchange for the construction of the gendarmerie headquarters at the Samba Diéry Diallo barracks and that the rent would be paid by the company during the construction period. The Peretz family’s involvement in Senegal’s defence sector is well documented. Gaby Peretz, an Israeli arms dealer, is described in international investigations as a close associate of former President Macky Sall. He reportedly offered a 300‑million‑euro credit line—about 196 billion FCFA—to the Senegalese army during negotiations for major equipment contracts. His name also appears in connection with a 45 billion FCFA arms contract awarded to a Nigerian company linked to the “Petit Boubé” nickname, signed by former Gaby Peretz employee David Benzaquen. These contracts are currently under scrutiny by authorities. Idan Peretz, identified in 2022 as the owner of Ad Immobilier, has been accused by a disgruntled entrepreneur of extending his influence into high levels of the state and steering contract awards. The entrepreneur also alleged that Ad Con, a sister company of Ad Immobilier, raised 121 billion FCFA through nominal bond certificates issued without bank backing. No judicial decision has confirmed these allegations. Following a change in government, Sogepa offered to reimburse Ad Immobilier 5 billion FCFA to recover the land and redevelop it in partnership with the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations. According to Pouye, the company initially accepted the offer but later withdrew after Ousmane Sonko left the Prime Minister’s office. The decree that authorised the lease remains in force, giving the state a solid legal footing. Absent an amicable settlement, the state would need to pursue a lengthy legal process to recover the property, unless it can prove that the original act was obtained irregularly. Key questions that remain unanswered include who initiated the arrangement within the administration, on what basis the land was valued in 2021, whether the defence contracts awarded to the Peretz family were linked to the land concessions, whether the new gendarmerie headquarters was completed to specification, and why Ad Immobilier later retracted its agreement. No member of the Peretz family has been charged in any public judicial proceeding, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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