Senegal has confirmed it gave money to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) official this month, after days of speculation in local media.

Officials had earlier denied money had changed hands but then said Alex Segura was given almost $200,000 (£122,000) at the end of his three-year posting.

Prime Minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye said it was a goodbye present - part of an African tradition.

The IMF said Mr Segura had returned the money as soon as he could.

The fund said in a statement Mr Segura was given the present after a dinner with President Abdoulaye Wade, but did not realise the gift was money until he was about to leave the country for Barcelona.

"With Mr Segura worried about missing his flight, and concerned that there was no place to leave the money safely in Senegal, he decided to take the money aboard the plane," Reuters quoted the IMF as saying.

The cash was handed over to Senegal's ambassador in Spain.

The BBC's Hamadou Tidiane Sy, in Dakar, says the affair has been dominating news headlines all week in Senegal.

He says Senegalese want to know why an IMF official was allowed to leave the country with so much money, and they also want to see whether anyone will be punished.

The president has not commented on the affair, but Mr Ndiaye admitted the gift was given, while denying corruption.

"We in Africa have a tradition - when someone visits you, you give him a gift at departure," he told local media.

Africa my Africa, I wish he would give me a gift. 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8327732.stm