By Felix Timothy
A court in Gabon on Wednesday sentenced former First Lady Sylvia Bongo and her son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, to 20 years in prison after finding them guilty of embezzling public funds and related corruption offences.
The verdict followed a two-day trial in Libreville, during which both defendants were tried in absentia. The pair are currently residing in London, having left Gabon earlier this year on medical grounds.
Sylvia Bongo, 62, and her son, 33, were accused of manipulating former President Ali Bongo — who was removed from office in a 2023 military coup — to siphon state funds for personal use. The court described their actions as a “systematic abuse of power and public trust.”
Both have denied the charges. Noureddin Bongo, before the trial, denounced the proceedings as a “legal farce” orchestrated by Gabon’s military rulers. “This is a political conviction by a justice system that takes its orders from the executive,” he said after the verdict was announced, alleging that witnesses were coerced by the junta.
The former president, Ali Bongo Ondimba, who ruled Gabon for 14 years after succeeding his father, Omar Bongo, in 2009, is not facing prosecution. The Bongo family’s decades-long rule came to an end on August 30, 2023, when soldiers led by General Brice Oligui Nguema seized power shortly after a disputed presidential election.
Prosecutor Eddy Minang said evidence from witnesses and co-defendants revealed a “sophisticated network” used to divert public funds into private accounts. Ten former aides and associates of the Bongos are also standing trial on similar charges, with hearings expected to continue through Friday.
Sylvia and Noureddin claim they were “repeatedly and violently tortured” while in military custody following the coup. In May 2024, they filed a lawsuit in France against Gabon’s current leadership, alleging human rights violations and forced confessions.
“We know that if we ever return to Gabon, what awaits us will be far worse than what we have already endured,” saying even his lawyer refused to attend the trial to avoid legitimising what he called “a show trial.”
President Oligui Nguema, who was formally sworn in as civilian head of state in April 2024, has denied all allegations of torture and maintains that the Bongos were granted due process.
The case underscores the deep divisions in Gabon more than a year after the end of the Bongo family’s 55-year dominance over the oil-rich Central African nation.
