Overview
- A Specialised Criminal Court in Libreville convicted Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo of embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, concealment, criminal association and forgery after a two-day trial.
- Judges issued arrest warrants and ordered the defendants to pay damages running into millions to the Gabonese state.
- The Bongos were detained for about 20 months after the 2023 coup before being allowed to leave for London on medical grounds, and they did not appear at the proceedings.
- They reject the charges as a politically driven “show trial,” with Noureddin saying the verdict was predetermined under President Brice Oligui Nguema.
- Prosecutors said testimony exposed a scheme to divert state funds, as trials for ten alleged accomplices continue in Libreville, while former president Ali Bongo is not being prosecuted.