A court in Gabon has sentenced former First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin, the son of ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba, to 20 years in prison for corruption and embezzlement following a swift two-day trial that concluded on Tuesday night.
The duo, tried in absentia, were found guilty of embezzling state funds and exploiting the former president’s ill health for personal gain. They were each fined 100 million CFA francs (about $177,000) while Noureddin was additionally ordered to pay a staggering 1.2 trillion CFA francs (around $2.1 billion) in damages to the Gabonese state.
The court found that Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo had manipulated power structures within the presidency after Ali Bongo suffered a debilitating stroke in 2018, allegedly using his condition to control national finances and enrich themselves. Both denied the allegations, calling the proceedings a “legal farce” and politically motivated.
The Bongos’ sentencing follows their 20-month detention after the August 2023 coup that removed Ali Bongo from power. Coup leader Brice Oligui Nguema, now Gabon’s elected president, had accused the Bongo family of large-scale corruption and financial mismanagement during their decades-long rule.
The prosecution alleged that Noureddin, as General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs, used forged documents and the president’s seal to divert public funds, while his mother coordinated financial operations from behind the scenes. The pair, who hold French citizenship, have previously claimed they were tortured during detention, allegations denied by Gabonese authorities.
Noureddin, speaking through his representatives, described the verdict as “a predetermined decision” made in President Nguema’s office long before the trial began, saying the process lacked transparency and evidence.
The conviction shocked many observers for its unusual speed, with the trial initially expected to run through the week. Meanwhile, proceedings against nine co-defendants former allies of the Bongo family are still ongoing.
The Bongo dynasty ruled Gabon for over five decades, with Omar Bongo governing for 42 years before his son Ali took over in 2009. Despite Gabon’s vast oil wealth, nearly one-third of its population lives in poverty, a legacy many blame on decades of mismanagement and corruption under the Bongo family.
This historic judgment marks a dramatic chapter in Gabon’s post-coup political transition, signaling President Oligui Nguema’s determination to hold former elites accountable and reclaim billions allegedly looted from the state.
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