A court in Gabon has sentenced former first lady, Sylvia Bongo, and her son Noureddin Bongo, to 20 years in prison following a two-day trial.
They were found guilty of embezzlement and corruption during a trial held in absentia.
Both were fined 100 million CFA francs ($177,000; £135,000), and Noureddin was ordered to pay an additional 1.2 trillion CFA francs ($2.1bn; £1.6bn) for financial damages to the Gabonese State.
They were accused of exploiting Ali Bongo’s condition after he suffered a stroke in 2018 to run Gabon for personal gain. The pair denied the charges, describing the trial as “a legal farce.”
Ali Bongo was removed from power in an August 2023 coup led by Brice Oligui Nguema, who was later elected president earlier this year.
Following the military takeover, Sylvia and Noureddin were detained for 20 months before being released in May and allowed to travel to London for medical reasons. The former president was also released and reportedly free to move as he wished, though he is not facing prosecution.
Gabonese State prosecutor Eddy Minang told the court on Monday that authorities were “surprised” not to see the former first lady and her son present when the trial began.
Noureddin called the conviction a “rubber-stamping exercise,” saying it had been “predetermined in (Oligui Nguema’s office) a long time ago.” He added that it was “disappointing that a finding of guilt has been made without any semblance of evidence.”
The case has drawn attention for its unusually fast handling, with the trial expected to last until Friday. Nine co-accused, former allies of the Bongos, were present in court at the start of the proceedings. Their trial will continue.
Both Sylvia and Noureddin hold French nationality. They have claimed they were tortured during their detention in Gabon and filed a case in France last year. Gabonese authorities have denied the allegations.
Noureddin was fined an additional $2.1bn due to his role as General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs, which prosecutors say made him the main architect of a corruption network. He was also accused of forgery for allegedly using the president’s signature and seal to siphon State funds, which he denies.
The Bongo family ruled Gabon for more than five decades. Ali Bongo led the country for 14 years, succeeding his father, Omar Bongo, who served for 42 years. Over the years, the family has faced accusations of accumulating wealth at the expense of the country, which they deny.
Despite being an oil-rich nation, about a third of Gabon’s population lives below the poverty line, according to the UN.
- BBC