2023-10-12 08:42:26
Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, the former first lady of Gabon, was imprisoned on Wednesday evening. On September 28, she was charged with “money laundering”, a month following the coup that overthrew her husband, Ali Bongo Ondimba.
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The former first lady of Gabon is no longer under house arrest: the Franco-Gabonese Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, wife of ex-president Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been incarcerated, her lawyer said Thursday, October 12.
“I confirm it to you,” replied her French lawyer François Zimeray on Thursday, questioned by AFP regarding the incarceration of his client on Wednesday evening. Me Zimeray denounces an “illegal” and “arbitrary” procedure.
According to Gabonese media, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba was placed under arrest warrant at Libreville central prison late Wednesday evening following a new and lengthy hearing by an investigating judge.
The former first lady, aged 60, was indicted on September 28, notably for “money laundering and forgery and use of forgery”. She had been kept under house arrest in Libreville since the first day following the August 30 putsch.
The military, who overthrew her husband by accusing those around him of having rigged his re-election, publicly suspected her of having “manipulated” her husband – suffering from the following-effects of a serious stroke in 2018 – and of having been, alongside notably of their son Noureddin Bongo Valentin, the de facto leader of the country for five years and of having “massively embezzled public funds”. Noureddin Bongo has been in prison since the first day of the coup, notably charged with “corruption” and “embezzlement of public funds”.
“As long as there is a difference between justice and arbitrariness, between law and revenge, we will denounce this illegal procedure”, commented, from Paris, Me Zimeray, who had already denounced, while his client was under house arrest, an “arbitrary detention” and a “hostage-taking”.
On the night of August 30, less than an hour following the announcement of the re-election of Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power for 14 years, the army, citing obvious fraud, “put an end to the regime”, also accused of massive corruption. General Brice Oligui Nguema, leader of the putsch, was proclaimed president of the transition two days later.
More than a month later, General Oligui, who appointed a civilian transitional government and parliament, remains adored as on the first day of his putsch by the immense majority of the population and the political class, who applaud the military for having “liberated” them from 55 years of “Bongo dynasty”. Ali was elected in 2009 following the death of his father Omar Bongo Ondimba, who had ruled the country for more than 41 years.
Read alsoBongo father and son, a dynasty in power in Gabon for more than 55 years
Ali Bongo was placed under house arrest on the day of the putsch but declared free to move around a week later. The military seemed to quickly exonerate him, considering that he had been “manipulated”, notably by his wife Sylvia and their son Noureddin, since his stroke. Since then, Ali Bongo has preferred to stay at home in Gabon, according to the new power.
The very night of the putsch, Noureddin Bongo Valentin and several of his young relatives, as well as members of the former first lady’s entourage within the presidential cabinet, were arrested and shown at the foot of countless trunks, suitcases and bags overflowing with banknotes for hundreds of millions of euros seized from their homes.
Three weeks later, Noureddin Bongo Valentin and seven so-called members of the “Young Team” of the presidential cabinet were indicted and imprisoned, in particular for “corruption, embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, criminal association, falsification of the signature of the President of the Republic and disruption of electoral operations”.
Two former ministers (Oil and Public Works), close to Noureddin Bongo Valentin, were also imprisoned.
“The first lady and Noureddin have wasted Ali Bongo’s power,” General Oligui told the Republican Guard on September 18. “Because since his stroke, they forged the president’s signature, they gave orders in his place,” in addition to “money laundering and corruption.”
In 2022, Gabon was ranked 136e out of 180 for the perception of corruption by Transparency International.
With AFP
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