A special criminal court in Gabon has found Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, the wife of ousted president Ali Bongo Ondimba, and their son Noureddin Bongo Valentin guilty of embezzling public funds and sentenced them to 20 years in prison in absentia.

The verdict, delivered late Tuesday night, also found Sylvia Bongo guilty of money laundering, misappropriation of public funds, and incitement to forgery, while her son was convicted of extortion, theft of titles and positions, aggravated money laundering, and criminal conspiracy.

Both were fined 100 million CFA francs (approximately €152,000) in addition to the prison sentences.

The prosecution accused the pair of orchestrating a “system designed to capture public money for private interests” during Ali Bongo’s presidency. The public prosecutor had sought the maximum sentence, citing the gravity of the offenses and the scale of financial losses to the state.

Reacting to the verdict on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Noureddin Bongo Valentin denied any wrongdoing, writing:

“I have never embezzled money and I will continue to fight for the truth before independent legal authorities.”

Sylvia and Noureddin Bongo were arrested in August 2023, shortly after the military coup that ended the 55-year rule of the Bongo family. They were detained for about 20 months before being released in May 2025, and have since gone into exile in London.

Neither the defendants nor their lawyers appeared in court, calling the proceedings a politically motivated trial orchestrated by the ruling junta.

The case marks a dramatic chapter in Gabon’s ongoing anti-corruption drive under the transitional military government, which has pledged to recover assets allegedly looted by officials of the former regime.

Ali Bongo, who was overthrown in August 2023, has not been charged but remains under restricted movement in Gabon.