Gabon’s tourism minister Pascal Ogowé Siffon has been placed under house arrest after being detained while allegedly attempting to leave Libreville, authorities said.
Siffon was intercepted on a national highway as he appeared to be making a hurried departure from the capital. He is suspected of embezzling nearly US$18 million earmarked for tourism development over the past two years, investigators said.
The funds came from public allocations, dividends from state-requisitioned hotels, and investment mechanisms linked to the oil and gas sector. Investigators are examining how the money was used and why several operations lacked proper accounting justification.
Placing a sitting minister under house arrest is uncommon and politically sensitive in Gabon, but officials consider Siffon a potential flight risk after his attempted departure.
It is not yet clear whether the case will result in formal charges or escalate into a wider political crisis.
More Read
Siffon, appointed in September 2023, had launched several initiatives to revive the tourism sector, including an audit of state-owned hotels and plans for new infrastructure development.
