Gabon court sentences ousted leader Ali Bongo’s wife Sylvia and son Noureddin to 20 years in prison for embezzlement in absentia trial
LIBREVILLE: A Gabon court has sentenced former first lady Sylvia Bongo and her son Noureddin Bongo to 20 years imprisonment for corruption.
The Wednesday verdict followed a two-day graft trial conducted in absentia against the wife and son of deposed leader Ali Bongo.
Both defendants were found guilty of embezzling public funds among other charges.
Sylvia Bongo, 62, had been accused of manipulating her husband to steal taxpayer money.
She denied all charges through the proceedings.
Noureddin Bongo, 33, previously criticised the trial as a “legal farce” in an AFP interview.
The Bongo family ruled the central African oil-producing nation for 55 years before last year’s coup.
Former president Ali Bongo was overthrown on August 30, 2023, after being declared winner of an election the army called fraudulent.
General Brice Oligui Nguema seized power in the military takeover.
The ousted leader himself is not currently facing prosecution.
Ali Bongo had ruled for 14 years after succeeding his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who governed for nearly 42 years until 2009.
Prosecutors alleged Sylvia and Noureddin exploited Ali Bongo’s serious 2018 stroke to effectively run Gabon for personal profit.
Both hold French citizenship and were arrested after the coup.
They endured 20 months detention before being released in May and allowed to travel to London for medical reasons.
The pair claim they suffered torture during their imprisonment.
Ten former Bongo allies are also standing trial for complicity in embezzlement charges.
Proceedings against the co-accused are expected to continue until Friday.
Prosecutor Eddy Minang said witness statements revealed systematic diversion of public funds to private interests.
In May 2024, Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo filed a torture lawsuit in France against Oligui’s closest army allies.
Noureddin told AFP before the trial that returning to Gabon would mean suffering “far worse” treatment.
He said their Gabonese lawyer boycotted the hearing to avoid justifying what he called a legal farce.
The Bongo family claims the new authorities pressured courts to secure guilty verdicts.
President Oligui, who was sworn in last April after retiring from military service, denied torture allegations.
He promised both defendants would receive a fair trial. – AFP
