Gabon Court Hands 20-Year Sentences to Former First Lady Sylvia Bongo and Son in Embezzlement Case

Gabon court sentences Sylvia Bongo and her son to 20 years for graft

A Gabonese court on Wednesday convicted former first lady Sylvia Bongo, 62, and her son Noureddin Bongo, 33, in absentia and sentenced them to 20 years in prison after a two-day trial on charges including embezzlement of public funds and related offences.

Prosecutors said evidence and witness testimony revealed a network that diverted state resources for private gain. Prosecutor Eddy Minang said statements from co-accused and witnesses exposed a system that siphoned public money to benefit private interests.

Sylvia Bongo has denied the accusations. Her son called the proceedings a "legal farce" in an interview with AFP and said he would not have his Gabonese lawyer attend the hearing so as not to lend credibility to what he called a sham process. The family has also alleged they were tortured while in detention.

The convictions follow the August 30, 2023 coup that removed President Ali Bongo from power and installed General Brice Oligui Nguema. Ali Bongo, who led Gabon for 14 years and succeeded his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, is not currently facing prosecution.

Authorities allege that Sylvia and Noureddin, who both hold French citizenship, exploited Ali Bongo's incapacitation after a serious stroke in 2018 to exercise de facto control and divert state funds for personal profit. Ten former allies of the Bongos are also on trial, accused of complicity in the embezzlement; those proceedings are expected to continue through Friday.

Following the coup, Sylvia and Noureddin were held in Gabon for about 20 months before being released in May and allowed to travel to London for medical reasons. In May last year they filed a complaint in France alleging they had been repeatedly and violently tortured by allies of General Oligui while in custody.

"We know full well that if we go back, we will suffer things far worse than we have already suffered," Noureddin told AFP prior to the trial, reiterating the family's fear of returning to Gabon. He added that he was not opposed to accountability, but only before an independent and genuine court of law.

General Brice Oligui Nguema, who formally became president in April after stepping down from his military role, has denied that detainees were tortured and said Sylvia and Noureddin would receive a fair trial. The family counters that the new authorities have pressured the courts to secure convictions.

The convictions and ongoing trials highlight the political and judicial fallout following Gabon's change of power and raise questions about due process and judicial independence amid a politically sensitive transition.