Gabon sentences ex-First Lady, Bongo son, to 20 years in prison for corruption
According to prosecutors, Sylvia and her son took advantage of former President Ali Bongo's weakened health after his 2018 stroke to influence the presidency for their own benefit.
Gabon has sentenced former first lady Sylvia Bongo and Noureddin Bongo, son of deposed President Ali Bongo, to 20 years in prison in absentia following a two-day corruption trial.
Reports indicate that the ruling issued on Tuesday night deemed them guilty of embezzling state funds and engaging in corruption.
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They were each fined 100 million CFA francs ($177,000), while Noureddin was ordered to pay an additional 1.2 trillion CFA francs ($2.1 billion) to cover financial losses incurred by Gabon.
According to prosecutors, Sylvia and her son took advantage of former President Ali Bongo's weakened health after his 2018 stroke to influence the presidency for their own benefit, using the situation to divert state resources for personal gain.
"They reigned unchallenged, and tried to pass themselves off as victims of the system they shaped," said Eddy Minang, prosecutor general at the Libreville court of appeal.
Ali Bongo was ousted in Gabon's August 2023 military coup, bringing an end to the Bongo family's rule that lasted over 50 years in the oil-rich nation. Unlike his wife and son, he was not facing any corruption charges.
The mother and son did not attend the hearing, which began on Monday and concluded with the verdict on Tuesday. Last week, Noureddin announced that they would not return to Gabon on the grounds that the case was politically motivated.
In a related move, the Bongos, who currently live in London, had filed a case in France last year, where they hold citizenship, arguing that Gabonese authorities were trying to influence the outcome against them.
"We know full well that if we go back, we will suffer things far worse than what we have already endured," Noureddin said last week.
"We are not opposed to the idea of being held accountable for so-called acts we may have committed. But only if it is before an independent and genuine court of law, not one that is clearly under the orders of the executive branch in Gabon."
It remains unclear whether the pair will ever face their sentences in Gabon, given their current residence in London and French citizenship.
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