Former First Lady Sent To Prison For Money Laundering, Forgery

Sylvia Ali Bongo Ondimba, wife of the deposed President of Gabon has been sentenced to prison.

Recall that Bongo was put under house arrest following the coup in the central African nation on August 30, 2023, an incident that marked the end of the 55-year rule of the Bongo dynasty. The putschists allege the former head of state and his entourage falsified the election results.

READ ALSO: Gabon’s New President Vows ‘Free’ Elections, Amnesty For Dissenters 

A lawyer to the Bongo family, Francois Zimeray, revealed in a statement on Thursday that Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, who is suspected of embezzling public funds, was detained on Wednesday evening.

Zimeray described the detention as an “arbitrary and illegal procedure”.

This news platform understands that Bongo’s wife was indicted on September 28 for money laundering, forgery, and falsification of records.

In the latest case, Sylvia Bongo and her son, Nourredin Bongo Valentin, were accused of manipulating the former president, who has not fully recovered from a serious stroke in 2018.

The duo were said to have effectively run the oil-rich country for the past five years and have misused public money. Recall that Nourredin Bongo Valentin has also been placed in detention since the coup, 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,” he added.

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