A court of appeal in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, has sentenced Sylvia Bongo, the wife of ousted President Ali Bongo, and their son, Nourredine Bongo, to 20 years in prison with a suspended sentence on multiple charges, including embezzlement of public funds.
Jean Miksant Issa Ossouma, president of the Special Criminal Court, announced that Sylvia Bongo was found guilty of receiving and embezzling public funds, money laundering, and incitement to forgery.
He also declared that Nourredine Bongo was guilty of embezzlement of public funds, bribery, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organization.
Both Nourredine and his mother were detained following the August 30, 2023 coup, which ended nearly 50 years of Bongo family rule. They were held for 20 months in Libreville’s central prison before being granted provisional release that allowed them to leave the country.
Gabon’s new leader, General Brice Oligui Nguema, has pledged to fight corruption, which has crippled the nation’s economy for decades and deepened poverty despite its small population and significant oil wealth.
The Bongo family has long been accused by civil society and human rights organizations in Gabon of embezzling public funds and transferring them abroad, particularly to France and several European countries.