[ Start of video]… corruption. As the President of the Republic, it’s something I can’t accept. The European Union, France—which helps us a lot—the European Union, Saudi Arabia, India, China, all those countries help us… But never do we hear them—even the French who’ve always lived with us–talk to us always about corruption, as if we were a corrupt country! As if we were entirely corrupt!… We don’t hear them… There’s only America, the United States—every day!—which gives of Senegal an image that I don’t accept! I ask you to convey that officially to your country! When you… If you find out corruption, you only have to write to me…. Call the minister… [pointing to someone off-screen] That one, [if for instance] they said he stole I don’t know how much, […] how come don’t you do anything about it? Then we’ll discuss!… Then you’ll see what I do! … […] You don’t do it; you don’t point to one single case of corruption. You haven’t so far pointed to one single case of corruption! […] [They] gave me a list of people supposed to have gotten money, etc, dirty money, […] I transmitted it integrally to the minister of justice… who is under my control, by telling him, “Give this to the Attorney General”… It’s the legislative body… It’s the judiciary body… the independence of the judiciary… Once it’s been given to the judiciary, what would I have to do there? Why accuse the government? […] I created a commission against corruption and embezzlement and it’s I who added that [latter] word in there… you don’t find it anywhere else [?]… Corruption, embezzlement, all that stuff… Independent commission [under the control of] a magistrate… […] that report I take it, I give it to the minister of justice, telling him to give that to the attorney general… But, well!… What more can I do? I could have stopped there, but… every day I tell the minister of justice, “But why isn’t there a follow-up on such and such report?… You must prosecute people, because one has the impression that we protect them.” But if I want to protect them, I don’t transmit the report! Who could force me to transmit it? […] No one! The report, it is done… I know there are people I know who are accused. I give that to the ministry of justice… who gives it to the attorney general… Bear in mind that you always tell us there must be a separation of powers; there’s a separation of powers in this country. Despite everything, always, ‘Corruption at the highest level!’ If you are aware of cases of corruption, you point them out to me… But here’s what I wanted to tell you: I’m responsible of the defense of the image of Senegal which is an honorable country. We are a small country but we have our pride, our dignity! There are things we can’t accept!

[Voice-over of a female journalist  explaining that the president, after making his point, it was now Ambassador Marcia Bernicat’s turn to speak]

It’s always with much joy that I always speak with you. […] It pains me that you took the article I wrote, the letter I made as accusations. I really appreciated last time we met, we talked for a long time about a lot of things. As you said, there’s not one single country that isn’t touched by corruption. And if my recollection is correct, we talked about the situation of two things: the perception which could be even stronger than reality at times; and the importance of creating an environment where it’s well understood that corruption can’t continue. And I was proud that we came up to those points together and that we were both in agreement. If you’d allow me… I brought with me copies in English and in French for you [which state] exactly what I wrote. And to assure you that it was… Hmm!… How would I explain this… it was the State Department that encouraged us to write a letter. […] And to continue to speak with the intent of helping you out with this issue of the environment [of governance]… Because, as you so rightly said, we have the same system where there’s a separation of powers… And even you can’t touch everywhere, everyone, all the time… They have to understand that it begins with the president down to the last functionary… and that it’s unacceptable to do that kind of things. At any event, if you find in the words expressed [in the op-ed] accusations, I must give you my apologies because I didn’t intend yesterday nor today to make accusations. I deliberately changed that letter because—I’ll tell you frankly, the text was sent out from the United States where, as you know very well, there remain some concerns. For various reasons. True or not true… Anyway, I edited this text to well acknowledge your efforts, your commitment… We spoke with the Prime Minister, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, with several officials, not every last one of them, of your intention and your government intention to fight corruption. And as we’re all aware, human beings are weak, there will always be people who want to cheat, who want to steal, who want to do things that shouldn’t be done… If I gave the impression that it’s an accusation leveled at you or your government, that wasn’t my intention at all. You now know me, don’t you?

I know what happens there…

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You can be that we’ll be following this money trail closely…