France, May 27 -- A Senegalese court on Monday indicted a fifth minister from the country's former government on corruption charges as President Bassirou Diomaye Faye steps up an anti-graft campaign, defence lawyers said.

Amadou Mansour Faye, an ex-minister of community development has been accused of embezzling more than $4.6 million in public funds in Senegal, according to a parliamentary report.

Mansour Faye is the current mayor of the city of Saint-Louis. He categorically rejects the charges against him, as well as his lawyers, who say they believe that the charges against him are the result of political harassment.

"If, today, [Amadou Mansour Fall] is being held for this offense, there is absolutely no doubt that it is a political...