An appeals court in Libreville has handed down 20-year prison sentences in absentia to Sylvia Bongo, wife of deposed Gabonese president Ali Bongo, and his son Noureddin, on a series of corruption-related charges.
Sylvia Bongo was convicted of receiving and embezzling public funds, money laundering, and incitement to forgery, while Noureddin Bongo was found guilty of embezzlement, bribery, money laundering, and involvement in a criminal organization.
The ruling comes after both were detained following the August 2023 coup that ended Ali Bongo’s rule. They spent nearly 20 months in detention before being released under conditions and permitted to leave the country.
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