Aides to Gabon’s Former First Lady Sentenced in Multi-Billion Dollar Corruption Case
LIBREVILLE, Gabon – A Gabonese court has sentenced nine close aides of former First Lady Sylvia Bongo and her son, Noureddin Bongo, to prison terms ranging from two to fifteen years for their roles in a vast embezzlement network. The sentences come just days after the mother and son were themselves convicted and sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison.
The group, famously known as the “Young Team,” was found guilty on charges of embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering. In addition to their prison terms, the court ordered them to collectively repay billions in Central African CFA francs to the state in damages.
The defendants were initially arrested during the military coup in August 2023 that ousted President Ali Bongo after 14 years in power. Prosecutors accused the “Young Team” of acting as a key financial pipeline, systematically diverting state funds for the benefit of the former first family.
According to the prosecution, the network used embezzled public money to acquire a portfolio of lavish assets. These included oil fields, two Boeing jets, and multiple luxury properties in Gabon, Morocco, and London. The total amount of public funds allegedly misappropriated by the network is estimated at a staggering $8.6 billion.
The sentencing of the aides marks a significant step in the new military government’s stated campaign to reclaim state assets and prosecute the alleged corruption of the Bongo era. The trials are being closely watched as a reckoning for the former ruling family, whose inner circle is now facing the consequences of what prosecutors describe as the plunder of national resources.
About The Author
