Gabon’s former First Lady, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, and her son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, have been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of corruption, embezzlement, and money laundering.
The sentencing follows a high-profile trial that has gripped the Central African nation since the ousting of former President Ali Bongo Ondimba in a military coup in August 2023. The court found that Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in state funds during Ali Bongo’s 14-year presidency.
Prosecutors accused the pair of using complex financial networks and shell companies to siphon public money into overseas accounts and private investments. The charges included “massive misappropriation of public funds” and “criminal association with the intent to conceal stolen assets.”
According to the court’s ruling, the two will also forfeit several properties and financial assets traced to the embezzled funds. Their legal team has vowed to appeal, describing the ruling as “politically motivated” and “a continuation of the junta’s campaign to erase the Bongo legacy.”
Sylvia Bongo had been under house arrest in the capital, Libreville, since her husband’s removal from office, while Noureddin was detained shortly after the coup. Both were key figures in the former regime and had been accused by Gabonese authorities of manipulating state finances and decision-making during Ali Bongo’s period of ill health following a 2018 stroke.
The verdict marks one of the most significant anti-corruption rulings in Gabon’s history and signals the transitional government’s determination to dismantle networks linked to the Bongo family, which ruled the country for over five decades.
Observers say the case represents a major test of Gabon’s judiciary under military rule and could shape the country’s path toward accountability and governance reform.
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