Gabonese junta jails wife of ousted President

The wife of Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba under house arrest since the coup in the Central African country in late August, has been jailed. Francois Zimeray, her lawyer, disclosed this on Thursday. Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, suspected of embezzling public funds, was jailed late on Wednesday, Zimeray told AFP, denouncing the “arbitrary… illegal […]

The wife of Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba under house arrest since the coup in the Central African country in late August, has been jailed.

Francois Zimeray, her lawyer, disclosed this on Thursday.

Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, suspected of embezzling public funds, was jailed late on Wednesday, Zimeray told AFP, denouncing the “arbitrary… illegal procedure”.

Bongo’s wife was charged on September 28 with money laundering, forgery and falsification of records.

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She has been under house arrest in Libreville, following the August 30 military coup that ousted her husband as president.

Their eldest son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, has already been charged with corruption and embezzling public funds with several former cabinet members and two ex-ministers.

Bongo, 64, who had ruled the central African country since 2009, was overthrown by military leaders moments after being proclaimed the winner in a presidential election.

Ali Bongo was elected after his father Omar died in 2009 after nearly 42 years in power. Gabon is Africa’s third-richest nation in terms of per-capita GDP but one in three people lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.