Gabon Tries Former First Lady and Son in Absentia for Embezzlement
LIBREVILLE, Gabon – The trial of Sylvia Bongo, the wife of ousted Gabonese President Ali Bongo, and their son, Noureddin Bongo, opened in the capital on Monday, with the absent defendants accused of embezzling public funds in a case that follows the 2023 coup that removed them from power.
The pair, who now live in exile in London, deny all charges. They have previously alleged they were tortured during a 20-month detention after the military takeover.
Monday’s proceedings at the Court of Appeal in Libreville saw nine of their co-defendants appear in person. The central accusation against the Bongos is that they exploited the former president, who was significantly weakened by a serious stroke in 2018, to effectively run Gabon for their personal gain—a claim their legal team vehemently denies.
Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo were not present in court. They were granted conditional bail in May and permitted to travel to London, officially on medical grounds. From the UK, Noureddin Bongo, 33, expressed fear about returning to Gabon.
“We know full well that if we go back, we will suffer things far worse than what we have already endured,” he said.
The trial represents a key effort by the country’s current military rulers to hold the former first family accountable for alleged corruption, marking a dramatic fall from grace for one of Central Africa’s most prominent political dynasties.
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