Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, the wife of Gabon’s deposed president Ali Bongo Ondimba, has been formally charged with “money laundering” and other related offenses, according to an announcement by the public prosecutor.
This development comes approximately a month after a coup d’état led to the overthrow of her husband.
The charges were filed by an investigating judge on Thursday and were publicly disclosed by Andre Patrick Roponat on state television channels on Friday. Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin has been placed under house arrest in the capital city of Libreville since the coup that occurred on August 30. The order for her house arrest has also been confirmed by Roponat.
Earlier this month, one of her lawyers had raised concerns, asserting that she was being detained “incommunicado outside any legal framework.”
In addition to these developments, their son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, has already faced charges of corruption and embezzlement of public funds, alongside several former cabinet members and two ex-ministers.
Ali Bongo, who had governed the central African nation since 2009, was deposed by military leaders shortly after being declared the winner of a presidential election. The election results had been disputed by the opposition and the military coup leaders, who also accused his administration of widespread corruption and poor governance.
Ali Bongo assumed the presidency following the death of his father, Omar, in 2009, after nearly 42 years in power.