The embassy released a statement on Twitter Friday disputing media reports based on court documents ordering Niang Oumou Kalsoum Sall to pay a former owner more than $45,000 for damage to a furnished home she lived in from November 1, 2018 to on October 31, 2020. Kalsoum Sall, first counselor at the embassy of the Republic of Senegal in Ottawa, was arrested and allegedly beaten by police on Aug. 2 in Gatineau, Que., across the river from Ottawa. Gatineau police said they were called to the residence to assist a bailiff who was trying to seize property in connection with a judgment against her. Police said they arrested a woman with diplomatic status after she allegedly punched a police officer in the face, adding that she was thrown to the ground after she allegedly bit another officer. Quebec’s rental board ruled that Kalsoum Sall caused flooding that led to structural damage and the use of the property forced its owner, Michel Lemay, to replace most of his furniture. The embassy, however, says the “false and shocking” information reported so far is based solely on the owner’s version of events and is aimed at “downplaying the seriousness” of the alleged police brutality. The embassy’s account alleges that she and her family suffered from damp and heating problems at the property from the beginning, and argues that the allegations contained in the court documents are untrue.
