A Senegalese judge has ordered a prominent opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, to face trial for alleged rape, lawyers for Sonko and his accuser said on Wednesday.
Sonko, who came third in Senegal's presidential election in 2019 has enjoyed a rapid political rise thanks in part to his popularity with young people and has declared himself a candidate for the 2024 elections.
However, he has also suffered legal troubles. Most notably he has been accused of rape by an employee of a beauty salon where he went for a massage.
Sonko, a 48-year-old former tax inspector, has denied the charge and says he is the victim of a plot by President Macky Sall.
The judge on Tuesday, January 19, 2023, signed an order to send Sonko's case to a criminal court for alleged crimes he was charged with in 2021, including rape and death threats, the plaintiff's lawyer El Hadji Diouf said.
Sonko has described the rape accusation as part of a scheme to torpedo his 2024 candidacy. The polarising politician is considered a populist firebrand by his critics.
Sonko's supporters hail his efforts to speak up on corruption and social elitism, as well as slamming the economic and political grip of multinational firms and Senegal's former colonial power, France.
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