Son of ex-Senegal president 'freed'

Senegalese President Macky Sall on Friday pardoned Karim Wade, the divisive son of his predecessor, setting the former minister free after serving half of a six-year sentence for graft.

In detention since his 2013 arrest, Wade was found guilty in March 2015 of illicitly amassing a fortune worth at least 178 million euros ($198 million).

Wade, 47, who held several government portfolios during his father's 2000-2012 rule, was freed in the early hours of Friday morning, said Soro Diop, press officer for the justice ministry.

Wade, who remains a presidential candidate for the now opposition PDS party, left Dakar for Qatar soon afterwards  in a private jet, according to Senegalese media.

In a statement released by his lawyer, Wade thanked the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for "never ceasing" to intervene on his behalf, "to put an end to the injustice I have been through for the last four years."

The presidency later released a statement saying that the financial sanctions against Wade remained in place.

The politician was fined the equivalent of more than 210 million euros and had his assets confiscated after his conviction.

Justice Minister Sidiki Kaba said the decision "does not erase the conviction which will remain on his file."

Presidential candidate

Sall had raised the possibility of a pardon in an interview with French broadcaster RFI on June 2, and had also hinted at a release before the end of Ramadan, around July 6.

"A lot of people are asking that he be released," the president told RFI on a visit to France, adding that "they should not lose hope".

Wade was appointed the presidential candidate for the PDS, which is still led by his father Abdoulaye Wade, days before his conviction.

In his statement on Friday he said he had "complete confidence" in his party, asking for citizens' support in the "victories to come", notably legislative elections to be held next year.

No other names have been put forward to replace him as the party's nominee for president despite his jail time. The next election to select Senegal's leader will be in 2019.

Negative message

Civil society group "Y en a marre" (We're sick of it) which campaigned against Wade's father's attempt at a third term, said Thursday in anticipation of Sall's decision that Wade junior's liberation would send out the wrong signals.

"If Karim Wade, who was charged with graft, is freed, that would send out a very negative message to all the people who might be tempted to embezzle public funds," the group said at a press conference.

"It would say 'yes, get rich and we will (still) release you'," they added.

Karim Wade was an extremely divisive figure in Senegalese politics in the run-up to the last election when his father's bid to seek a third term sparked deadly riots.

Many believed ex-president Abdoulaye Wade was trying to line his son up for succession.

Karim Wade was charged in 2013 after his father's stunning election defeat to Sall, prompting the PDS to accuse the government of conducting a witch hunt.

After a successful career in finance in London, Wade returned to Senegal two years after his father's 2000 presidential victory and was soon tapped for a series of increasingly important public positions.

The0se included simultaneous appointments to key ministerial portfolios, earning him the nickname "minister of Heaven and Earth".

He was also chosen to head the National Agency for the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (ANOCI), which successfully oversaw the transformation of Dakar in time to host the 11th Islamic Summit of 57 Muslim countries in 2008 -- but was also criticised for a lack of financial transparency.

Criticised for his many years living in Europe, he is seen by many voters as more "toubab" -- the west African word for white Europeans -- than Senegalese.