Idrissa Seck in court

Senegal's parliament votes to send ex-PM to court

DAKAR (Reuters) - Senegal's parliament voted on Wednesday to try a former prime minister in a special court on charges including threatening state security, lifting a hurdle to what is likely to be a politically divisive trial.

Charges brought by the state against Idrissa Seck, a popular prime minister until President Abdoulaye Wade sacked him in April 2004, have fuelled splits between his allies and opponents in the ruling party.

Seck was charged last month with threatening state security, linked to evidence investigators say surfaced during a probe into allegations he embezzled government money in his position as mayor of the eastern town of Thies.

Members of Senegal's 120-seat parliament voted in favour of sending him to a special court to face both charges of embezzlement and threatening sate security.

"The resolution is adopted," said Pape Diop, president of the national assembly, saying the vote was 69 in favour and 35 against the motion.

The vote was necessary to allow Seck's prosecution for charges that would not normally be admissible in court due to the office he held at the time of the alleged offences.

The assembly also voted to send current Housing Minister Salif Ba to the court as a co-defendant with Seck.

Both Seck and Ba deny any wrongdoing. Seck's arrest last month sparked clashes between police and his supporters.

The special High Court of Justice has been used only once in 1962 when an official was convicted of plotting to overthow the late former president Leopold Senghor.

Seck has been seen as a rival of Wade in the ruling PDS party since the pair fell out last year, rupturing an alliance that helped bring their party to power in 2000 elections and end four decades of Socialist Party rule.

Seck has made it clear he has presidential ambitions, though he has said he would not run against Wade, who has faced criticism for his increasingly authoritarian style.

Presidential elections are due in 2007.

link