Media reports ex-Gabonese president’s family released from jail
(MENAFN)
Former Gabonese First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and her son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, have been released from prison and placed under house arrest, according to local media reports. The two had spent over a year in detention facing charges including embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering.
Former Gabonese First Lady Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and her son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, have been released from prison and placed under house arrest, according to local media reports. The two had spent over a year in detention facing charges including embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering.
The development follows the recent inauguration of Gabon’s new president, Brice Oligui Nguema, a former general who led the military coup that overthrew Ali Bongo Ondimba in August 2023. The Gabon Review, citing reliable sources, reported that Sylvia and Noureddin were transferred last Friday to the family’s residence in Libreville, where former president Ali Bongo has been under house arrest since his removal from office.
Although no longer in prison, the pair remain under judicial oversight and are still required to cooperate with legal proceedings. Sylvia was initially detained following the coup and officially placed in custody in October 2023 over alleged money laundering and document forgery.
Her lawyer, François Zimeray, criticized the detention as unjust and unlawful, and reports suggested she and her son were possibly confined in the presidential palace basement or the Central Prison in Libreville.
The Bongo family has dominated Gabonese politics for decades. Ali Bongo, who took office in 2009 following the death of his father, Omar Bongo, remained in power until the 2023 coup, which followed a contested election. After suffering a stroke in 2018, Bongo was left physically impaired. Coup leaders accused Sylvia Bongo of exploiting his condition to misappropriate public funds with the help of other officials.
Sylvia has denied the accusations during judicial hearings.
On April 30, the African Union passed a resolution urging the Gabonese authorities to release the former president, his family, and detained former officials, and to ensure their rights and wellbeing are protected. In 2023, Ali Bongo launched a hunger strike to protest alleged mistreatment, after lawyers claimed his wife and son had been abused while in custody.
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