Former First Family of Gabon Get 20 Years in Absentia for Graft
A Gabonese court has sentenced former first lady Sylvia Bongo and her son Noureddin Bongo to 20 years in prison following a two-day graft trial held in absentia. Both were found guilty of embezzling public funds, with prosecutors saying evidence revealed a system diverting state money for personal gain.
Sylvia and Noureddin, who hold French citizenship, were accused of exploiting ex-president Ali Bongo, who suffered a stroke in 2018, to control the country for profit. They were arrested on August 30, 2023, after Ali Bongo was overthrown in a coup, detained for 20 months, and then released to London on medical grounds despite claiming they had endured torture.
Noureddin called the trial a "legal farce," arguing the court was influenced by Gabon's new administration under President Brice Oligui Nguema, while the prosecution continues against ten former Bongo allies.
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Gabon:
Ousted Gabon Leader's Wife and Son Sentenced to 20 Years for Graft
RFI, 12 November 2025
A Gabon court on Wednesday sentenced the former first lady and son of the oil-rich country's deposed leader Ali Bongo to 20 years in prison following a two-day graft trial. Read more »
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Gabon:
Wife, Son of Ex Gabon Leader Ali Bongo On Trial Over Treason, Corruption
RFI, 10 November 2025
The wife and son of former Gabonese president Ali Bongo, along with eleven of their close associates who held key positions at the end of his presidency, go on trial in Gabon on… Read more »
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Gabon:
Bongo Family Accuses Gabonese Authorities of Torture in French Court
RFI, 4 July 2025
The Bongo family, the former rulers of Gabon, have provided video evidence before a French court on allegations of torture and arbitrary detention, following their ousting in the… Read more »
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Gabon:
Hostages Freed by Coup Leaders in Gabon After 20 Months
Zimeray & Finelle Avocats, 19 May 2025
Former Gabonese president Ali Bongo's wife, Sylvia, and son, Noureddi, flew with him to Luanda, Angola, last night after the family were released by coup leaders Family's release… Read more »
InFocus
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Former president Ali Bongo and his family have arrived in Luanda, the Angolan capital, after they were released by the Gabonese authorities.
Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo - the former president's wife and son - were detained in 2023 after the coup that toppled Bongo.
The former president was kept under house arrest, although the authorities said he was free to move about.
Following the
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As Gabon approaches the first anniversary of the coup that ousted longtime President Ali Bongo Ondimba, supporters of the military chief General Brice Nguema who leads the transitional government are urging him to run for president.
However, opponents fear Nguema may be plotting to seize power for the long term and turn Gabon into a military dictatorship. Many opposition and civil society groups are urging Nguema
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Gabon's military junta says the government appointed by transitional president, General Brice Oligui Nguema, has begun consultations to determine how best to use the items recovered from state officials and business executives under the rule of ousted President Ali Ben Bongo.
The military-appointed government says it will invest more than U.S.$10 million and distribute hundreds of luxury vehicles said to be part of ill-gotten wealth recovered from Bongo's family and friends.
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Nourredin Bongo, Sylvia Bongo and Ali Bongo.
