Gabon President, Ali Bongo Ondimba

Gabon’s Vice President and the country’s Minister of State for Forests and Environment have been relieved of their positions by a presidential decree in connection with a timbre scandal which rocked the central African country.

The decree to sack Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou who has been the country’s Vice President since 2016 and Forestry Minister, Guy-Bertrand Mapangou formed part of a reshuffle by President Ali Bongo.

The decree which was announced late Tuesday by the Secretary General at the Presidency, Jean Yves Teale said the duo had been relieved of their positions with immediate effect.

“By decree of the President of the Republic on this day, the functions of the Vice-president of the Republic, Mr. Pierre Claver Manganga Moussavou is put to an end as is that of the Minister of State for Forests and the Environment, Guy-Bertrand Mapangou,” Teale said.

The development is an offshoot of what has become known as the ‘Kevazingo Gate’ in which illegally felled special hardwood of 353 containers worth nearly $250 million was reported stolen from a cache of 392 containers intercepted at the port of Owendo in late February and early March of this year.

Last week, Gabon’s Prosecutor General, Olivier N’zahou said 71 of the missing containers were found on the port premises of Cameroon-registered transport company, SOTRASGAB while 129 were found on a property belonging to Owendo Container Terminal (OCT).

In recent days, the two high-profile personalities had been questioned by Prime Minister Julien Nkoghe Bekale over the roles they played in the disappearance of the precious timbre.