Gabon’s Specialized Criminal Court handed down a landmark ruling on Tuesday, sentencing nine former associates of Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo to prison terms ranging from two to fifteen years for embezzlement, corruption, and money laundering.
The verdict follows closely on the heels of the Bongos themselves being sentenced in absentia to twenty years of criminal imprisonment just six days earlier.
Court President Jean Mexant Essa Assoumou described the outcome as “a historic moment for our country” at the close of the eight-day trial, which was broadcast live nationwide. Of the ten defendants, members of the so-called “Young Team,” nine were convicted and ordered to repay billions of CFA francs in damages to the state.
The group, arrested following the 2023 coup, was accused of orchestrating a massive diversion of public funds. Prosecutors detailed a scheme in which state resources were “taken, recycled, laundered, and reinvested in disconnected luxury” during Ali Bongo’s 14-year tenure.
Investigators say the Bongos used embezzled funds to acquire oil fields, two Boeing aircraft, and luxury properties across Gabon, Morocco, and London, with the total misappropriation estimated at 4.9 trillion CFA francs (approximately 7.5 billion euros).
