Gabon Court jails ex-First Lady, Son of ousted President Ali Bongo for 20 Years over corruption

A Gabonese court has sentenced former First Lady Sylvia Bongo and her son, Noureddin Bongo, to 20 years in prison after finding them guilty of embezzling public funds and other corruption-related charges.

The verdict, delivered on Wednesday after a two-day trial, saw both Sylvia, 62, and Noureddin, 33, convicted in absentia. The pair were accused of siphoning state money during the rule of Ali Bongo, the deposed president who led the oil-rich Central African nation for 14 years before being overthrown in a coup in August 2023.

Prosecutors alleged that Sylvia manipulated her husband, who suffered a stroke in 2018, to control state finances and enrich her family. However, she denied all accusations. Noureddin, in an interview with AFP before the trial, described the proceedings as a “legal farce” orchestrated by the country’s new leadership.

Ali Bongo himself, who succeeded his father Omar Bongo in 2009 after 42 years in power, is not facing prosecution. He was removed from office shortly after being declared winner of a disputed presidential election that both the army and opposition groups dismissed as fraudulent.

Sylvia and Noureddin, both French citizens, were arrested following the 2023 coup and detained for about 20 months before being released in May and permitted to travel to London for medical reasons. They claim they were tortured during detention, a charge denied by the current president, General Brice Oligui Nguema, who led the coup and assumed office in April this year.

Prosecutor Eddy Minang said evidence and witness statements during the trial exposed a network designed to divert public funds for personal enrichment. Ten former associates of the Bongo family are also facing trial for complicity in the alleged crimes, with proceedings expected to continue until Friday.

In May 2024, Sylvia and Noureddin filed a lawsuit in France, alleging they were “violently tortured” by Oligui’s security operatives. Noureddin told AFP that he and his mother would only appear before an “independent and genuine court of law,” rejecting the current proceedings as politically driven.