A court in Gabon has sentenced Sylvia Bongo, the former first lady, and her son, Noureddin Bongo Valentin, to 20 years in prison following a swift two-day trial that concluded on Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
The pair, who are currently in London after being released on medical grounds earlier this year, were found guilty of embezzlement, corruption, and forgery. The court ruled that they exploited former President Ali Bongo’s fragile health following his 2018 stroke to effectively run the country for their personal financial gain.
The financial penalties imposed by the court are significant. In addition to individual fines of 100 million CFA francs ($177,000), Noureddin Bongo was ordered to pay a staggering 1.2 trillion CFA francs ($2.1 billion) in damages to the Gabonese state.
Prosecutors alleged that as the General Coordinator of Presidential Affairs, Noureddin utilized his father’s signature and official seal to siphon public funds into private accounts.
The Bongos have vehemently rejected the verdict, labeling the proceedings a “legal farce” and a “predetermined rubber-stamping exercise” orchestrated by the current president, Brice Oligui Nguema.
Noureddin Bongo claimed the conviction was made without a “semblance of evidence” and is part of a politically motivated effort to consolidate the power of the new administration. Meanwhile, the legal pressure on the family continues to grow internationally, as Swiss prosecutors have confirmed a separate money laundering investigation into Sylvia Bongo is currently underway.
The trial of nine other co-accused allies remains ongoing in Gabon. Although Ali Bongo himself was released from house arrest and is not currently facing prosecution, the sentencing of his immediate family marks the symbolic end of a dynasty that ruled the oil-rich nation for over five decades.
Despite Gabon’s natural wealth, the new government often highlights that a third of the population still lives in poverty as justification for these high-profile anti-corruption trials.
