Senegal’s national assembly on Thursday voted to order a special court to investigate five former ministers accused of corruption.

The five were all ministers under former president Macky Sall, whose administration has been targeted by current President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The former ministers have been accused of diverting money from a fund set up to fight the Covid-19 pandemic in the west African nation in 2020-21. Senegal’s opposition has called the case a “witchhunt”.

Former ministers for community development Amadou Mansour Faye, mines Aissatou Sophie Gladima, industrial development Moustapha Diop, minister for women Salimata Diop and justice minister Ismaila Madior Fall were ordered to be investigated after more than nine hours of debate in the assembly.

Faye is accused of diverting about $4.5 million in funds and the others smaller amounts, according to a national assembly report.

They will appear before a special commission of the high court of justice which will decide whether the court will hear their case.

Proceedings of this type are rare in Senegal and cases against former ministers must be authorised by lawmakers. The court has only previously sat in 2005 and 1963.

The assembly voted last Friday to lift immunity from prosecution against two opposition MPs caught up in the allegations.