• The Special Criminal Court in Libreville sentenced Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin to 20 years in prison each for embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering.

• The court ordered the confiscation of their assets and a joint payment of CFA1,400 billion ($2.47 billion) in damages and restitution to the Gabonese state.

• Both were tried in absentia after leaving Gabon for London in 2024 following their provisional release.

The Special Criminal Court in Libreville on Wednesday, November 12, sentenced former First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin to 20 years in prison each. The court found them guilty of embezzling public funds, corruption, and aggravated money laundering.

Both were tried in absentia, and the court issued arrest warrants against them.

According to local media reports, Sylvia Bongo was convicted of “concealment and embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, misuse of funds, and instigation of forgery.” Noureddin Bongo was found guilty of “embezzlement of public funds, extortion, misuse of titles and functions, aggravated money laundering, and criminal conspiracy.”

The court also ordered the confiscation of all their assets and mandated that they jointly reimburse over CFA400 billion to the Gabonese state as restitution. In addition, they must pay CFA1,000 billion ($1.77 billion) in moral damages, bringing the total financial penalty to more than CFA1,400 billion ($2.47 billion).

Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo were arrested in August 2023 following the coup that ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled the oil-rich Central African country for 14 years. The two were accused of orchestrating a network of corruption and embezzlement during Ali Bongo’s presidency.

After spending 20 months in detention, they obtained provisional release and left Gabon to settle in London, where they remain beyond the reach of Gabonese justice.

The Special Criminal Court also opened, on Tuesday, November 12, the trial of ten co-defendants, all close associates of the Bongo family. They face charges of complicity in embezzlement, active corruption, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and money laundering.

This article was initially published in French by Lydie Mobio

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum