Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, the wife of Gabon’s ousted President, Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been charged with “money laundering” and other offenses a month after a coup toppled her husband.
Gatekeepers News reports that Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin was charged by an investigating judge on Thursday, Andre Patrick Roponat announced on state TV channels on Friday.
She had been under house arrest in the capital, Libreville, since the coup on August 30. Her house arrest order has also been upheld.One of her lawyers said earlier this month that she was being kept “incommunicado outside any legal framework”.
This development follows the charges against their son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, who faces corruption and embezzlement of public funds charges, along with several former cabinet members and ex-ministers.
Ali Bongo, 64, had ruled Gabon since 2009, taking over after the death of his father, Omar, who had been in power for nearly 42 years.
The coup leaders accused Ali Bongo’s regime of widespread corruption, bad governance, and election fraud, leading to his overthrow by military leaders. The situation in Gabon remains fluid, with ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.
