Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, wife of Gabon’s ousted president Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been jailed under allegations of embezzling public funds, according to her lawyer, Francois Zimeray. The arrest, which occurred late on Wednesday, is decried as an “arbitrary and illegal procedure.”
Bongo’s wife was charged on September 28 with offenses including money laundering, forgery, and falsification of records.
Since the military coup that led to her husband’s removal from the presidency, she had been under house arrest in Libreville.
The military accuses the former president and his entourage of manipulating election results.
Openly stating that Bongo’s wife has been influencing him since his serious stroke in 2018, the authorities have intensified the legal actions against her.
The arrest has raised concerns about the legal process, with the lawyer emphasizing the arbitrary nature of the procedure.
The situation adds complexity to the political landscape in Gabon following the recent political changes and raises questions about the rule of law in the country.
