Civil court adjourns Sonko-Niang villa dispute until 2026

A fresh postponement has been ordered in the civil lawsuit between former Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang and current Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko over the ownership of a high-value property in Dakar’s upscale Cité Keur Gorgui neighborhood.

The case, which centers on a 264-square-meter villa (plot number R/17), was deferred by the Third Civil Chamber of the Dakar Tribunal until July 22, 2026. The legal battle erupted after Mame Mbaye Niang filed a civil complaint alleging fraudulent transfer of his property’s leasehold rights to the Prime Minister’s family.

The plaintiff’s legal team argues that the transaction was a calculated effort to shield the villa from potential seizure, ensuring its value remains inaccessible to satisfy a 200 million CFA francs court-awarded damages verdict—previously secured in a separate criminal case concluded by the Supreme Court. The ongoing civil proceedings aim to resolve the property dispute definitively, pending the submission of final written responses from both sides.