Senegal: IMF Official Given Cash Farewell Gift

SADIBOU MARONE

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal's president said Tuesday that he hosted a special dinner at his palace for a departing International Monetary Fund representative — only to have a top aide erroneously send him off with nearly $200,000 in cash as a goodbye gift.

President Abdoulaye Wade's admission has prompted the opposition in the West African nation to call for an investigation.

Wade said his top aide gave the cash to IMF country director Alex Segura after a Sept. 25 dinner at the presidential palace marking the end of Segura's three-year term. Wade issued a statement Tuesday in which he said the gift was not a bribe.

A top aide to the president asked if he should give something to Segura as is custom, the statement said.

"The president said yes without specifying the sum, as there was a common practice," the statement said. "The top aide was mistaken about the amount and realized his error later."

Wade did not specify what the proper amount was supposed to be. Nor did Wade say if the Senegalese government had followed a similar practice with other diplomats or foreign officials.