Gabon court sentences former first lady and president's son to 20 years in prison

Gabon's erstwhile archetypal woman and her lad person been sentenced successful absentia to 20 years successful prison

LIBREVILLE, Gabon -- Gabon's erstwhile archetypal woman and her lad were sentenced successful absentia by a peculiar transgression tribunal to 20 years successful situation pursuing a two-day proceedings successful Libreville.

Sylvia Bongo and Noureddin Bongo Valentin were convicted of concealment and embezzlement of nationalist funds, wealth laundering, transgression relation and forgery.

The tribunal sentenced the duo precocious Tuesday, according to a judgement, and besides issued an apprehension warrant for them. They were ordered to wage millions of dollars successful damages for “crimes against the Gabonese state."

Valentin said the verdict had agelong been “predetermined" nether the bureau of President Oligui Nguema and called the proceedings a “simple formality."

Sylvia Bongo and Noureddin Bongo Valentin were influential during erstwhile president Ali Bongo's 14 years successful powerfulness of the cardinal African country. Ali Bongo was ousted successful a coup successful 2023 aft winning a disputed predetermination that the subject and absorption said was marred by fraud. The coup enactment an extremity to the Bongo dynasty's 56 years successful power. Ali Bongo's father, Omar Bongo, ruled for 42 years.

The authoritative accused some defendants of manipulating the erstwhile president's wellness issues to power authorities funds.

Valentin, who held the presumption of coordinator of statesmanlike affairs, was described by witnesses during the proceedings arsenic the main idiosyncratic giving orders astatine the statesmanlike palace aft his begetter suffered a changeable successful October 2018. Following Ali Bongo's ouster, some Valentin and his parent were detained for 20 months earlier being allowed to question retired of the country.

The Bongos, who unrecorded successful London and clasp French citizenship, refused to enactment successful the trial. During the trial, the authoritative released images of 2 backstage jets allegedly procured with laundered wealth and listed onshore holdings including a mansion successful London and Morocco.

“They reigned unchallenged, and tried to walk themselves disconnected arsenic victims of the strategy they shaped,” said Eddy Minang, authoritative wide astatine the Libreville Court of Appeal.

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