A criminal court in Gabon has sentenced Sylvia Bongo, the wife of former President Ali Bongo, and her son, Noureddin Bongo, to 20 years in prison in absentia. The court also imposed a fine of 100 million Central African Francs (approximately 152,000 Euros) on each of them. The charges relate to the embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, and other financial crimes.
In addition to the prison sentence and fine, Noureddin Bongo was ordered to pay over 1.8 billion Euros to the state. Both Sylvia and Noureddin were jointly instructed to pay 1.5 billion Euros in compensation for “moral damages.” The verdict comes after a two-day trial where witnesses and other defendants detailed a vast network of public funds being plundered, amounting to billions of Central African Francs. These funds were allegedly used for private interests, diverting them away from the state treasury.
Prosecutors described the actions as an “organized system for collecting public funds for the benefit of specific individuals.” Neither of the accused, nor their legal representatives, attended the trial. They have reportedly been residing in London for several months. Noureddin Bongo, speaking to the Agence France-Presse, stated that “the conditions for a fair trial were not yet met,” arguing that the proceedings lacked legal safeguards.
Members of the Bongo family were arrested following the military coup on August 30, 2023, which ousted President Ali Bongo and brought General Brice Oligui Nguema to power. Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo spent approximately 20 months in prison before being granted temporary permission to leave the country. The court also revealed that Noureddin allegedly paid half a billion Central African Francs to officials in the electoral commission in 2023 to ensure his father’s victory in the elections, days before the coup.
Sylvia and Noureddin have filed a complaint in France, accusing security forces loyal to the current President Oligui Nguema of subjecting them to “repeated torture” during their detention. The Gabonese President has denied these allegations, pledging to ensure a fair trial. The Bongo family ruled Gabon for over half a century, starting with Omar Bongo. The case continues to draw significant attention both nationally and internationally.
