A court in Gabon has sentenced former First Lady Sylvia Bongo and her son, Noureddin Bongo, to 20 years in prison following a two-day corruption trial.
The trial, which began in their absence, concluded on Tuesday night with both found guilty of embezzlement and corruption. In addition to the prison sentences, they were each fined 100 million CFA francs ($177,000; £135,000), while Noureddin was ordered to pay an extra 1.2 trillion CFA francs ($2.1 billion; £1.6 billion) in damages to the Gabonese state.
The prosecution accused them of exploiting former President Ali Bongo’s health following his 2018 stroke to enrich themselves at the expense of the state. Both Sylvia and Noureddin denied the allegations, calling the proceedings “a legal farce.”
Ali Bongo was removed from power in an August 2023 coup led by Brice Oligui Nguema, who later resigned from the military and was elected president earlier this year.
Following the coup, Sylvia Bongo and her son were detained for 20 months before being released in May and allowed to travel to London on medical grounds. The former president himself was not prosecuted and was freed from house arrest, with authorities stating he was able to move freely.
Gabonese state prosecutor Eddy Minang expressed surprise at the absence of the former first lady and her son when the trial began.
