(BSS/AFP) - A special court in Senegal on Monday formally charged a former government minister with embezzling Covid funds, a source close to the case told AFP.

Salimata Diop, who was the minister for women under ex-president Macky Sall, is one of five former ministers facing allegation of corruption including the misuse of funds intended to fight the pandemic.

Diop was charged with complicity in embezzlement and released after paying bail of about $97,750, the source said, confirming local media reports.

Her parliamentary immunity from prosecution had been lifted on May 2 to allow the proceedings to go ahead.

Diop is under investigation alongside the former ministers for community development, mines, industrial development and justice.

Former minister for community development Amadou Mansour Faye is accused of diverting about $4.5 million from a fund set up to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in the west African nation in 2020-21, according to a national assembly report.

Senegal`s national assembly had earlier this month voted to order a special court to investigate the five former ministers.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye won an election last year vowing to crack down on corruption, particularly by the previous administration under Sall.

Senegal`s opposition has called the case a "witchhunt".