Gabon’s ex-first lady, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba jailed

The wife of Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin has been incarcerated after being under house arrest since the coup that transpired in late August in the central African country. The arrest is linked to allegations of alleged embezzlement of public funds. Her lawyer, Francois Zimeray, denounced the process as “arbitrary and illegal.”

On September 28, Bongo’s wife was officially charged with money laundering, forgery, and falsification of records. Since the August 30 coup, which marked the end of the 55-year-long Bongo dynasty rule, Sylvia Bongo has been confined to house arrest in the capital, Libreville.

The coup instigators claim that the former head of state and his close associates manipulated election results, leading to their takeover. Sylvia Bongo and her son, Nourredin Bongo Valentin, are accused of exerting significant influence over the ex-president, who has not fully recovered from a severe stroke in 2018. They are alleged to have effectively governed the oil-rich nation for the past five years and have been implicated in the misuse of public funds.

Following the coup, Nourredin Bongo Valentin has also been detained and charged with corruption.

“We condemned this illegal procedure,” lawyer Zimeray said.

“There is a difference between justice and arbitrary actions, between the law and revenge.”

The public prosecutor in Libreville has yet to provide a response to an AFP inquiry.

Ali Bongo, aged 64, had governed the central African nation since 2009, but military leaders removed him shortly after he was declared the victor in a presidential election. This move was viewed by many as an act of liberation rather than a typical military coup.

Ali Bongo assumed office after the passing of his father, Omar, in 2009, who had held power for almost 42 years.

Gabon ranks as Africa’s third-wealthiest nation in terms of per-capita GDP; however, a significant portion of its population, approximately one in three individuals, lives below the poverty line, as reported by the World Bank.