L'affaire Segura: it's classic Senegal

It has been called bribery, but the real story behind "the Segura Affair" may be more interesting than that. Wittingly or not, the Senegal representative for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seems to have been what we call in California politics a "bag man," carrying 65 million CFA (about $150,000).

The hapless bagman, Alex Segura, was ending his third tour in Senegal for the IMF. I had spoken to him a couple times by phone (or was it email) in Spring 2008, but was unable to meet him personally because of his travels. It can safely be said that no other foreigner in Senegal was better known--or at least in the media--than Segura (yes, even more than Obama). He was the point man steering the Senegalese economy for the international community.

Segura's role/complicity/whatever is pretty vague. At least that seems to be the picture in the Senegalese press. Some of those reports are supposedly based upon statements from the IMF. But I can't find anything about it on the IMF website and there is virtually no media reports on the "Segura Affair" outside Senegal.

The "real" story, augmented by my informal sources, is that Segura was delivering the money to the Senegalese embassy in Barcelona. He found that he had the money (delivered to him by means uncertain) and let his superiors know. My Senegalese contacts are convinced that he was being used--again wittingly or not--to deliver the money for Senegalese government higher ups. Since the Wade administration does a lot of "cash transactions" their conclusion is that hanky-panky was involved. Maybe it was a bribe. But to who? Segura was exiting his post in Dakar. It doesn't seem to make sense that he was being paid off retrospectively or prospectively.

The IMF is reportedly (by Dakar press) investigating the "Segura Affair." Meanwhile, Senegalese in the U.S. have announced a protest gathering at the IMF headquarters in Washington D.C. to voice their indignation with the Senegalese government and the perception of its corruption galvanized by the "Segura Affair," set for October 31.