A Gabon court on Wednesday sentenced the former first lady and son of the oil-rich country’s deposed leader, Ali Bongo, to 20 years in prison following a two-day graft trial.
Sylvia Bongo, 62, and Noureddin Bongo, 33, both tried in absentia, were found guilty of embezzlement, among other charges.
The wife of Ali Bongo, whose family ruled the central African country with an iron fist for 55 years, had been accused of manipulating her husband to embezzle taxpayers’ money. She denied all charges.
Her son and co-defendant, Noureddin, criticised the trial as a “legal farce” in an interview with AFP last week.
Ex-president Ali Bongo was toppled in a coup on August 30, 2023, which brought General Brice Oligui Nguema to power. Bongo ruled for 14 years and was overthrown moments after being proclaimed the winner in a presidential election the army and opposition declared fraudulent.
He had succeeded his father, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who ruled with an iron fist for nearly 42 years.
Bongo’s wife and son, who both hold French citizenship, were accused of exploiting the former leader, who suffered a serious stroke in 2018, to effectively run Gabon for their own personal profit.
Arrested after the coup, they were detained in the country for 20 months before being released in May and allowed to leave the country. Both allege they suffered torture during their detention.
Ten former allies of the Bongos are also on trial, accused of complicity in the embezzlement of public funds. Proceedings are expected to continue until Friday.
Prosecutor Eddy Minang said that statements by the co-accused and witnesses during the trial revealed a system of diverting public funds “for the benefit of private interests”.
