KIGALI, Rwanda

A court in Gabon began on Monday a trial of former first lady Sylvia Bongo and her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin for graft.

Both are being tried in absentia at the Special Criminal Court in the capital, Libreville.

The former first lady, Sylvia, is accused of embezzlement of public funds, money laundering, and criminal association, while her son Noureddin Bongo Valentin was charged with illicit enrichment, corruption, and illegal transfer of funds, according to local news portal GabonActu.

Prosecution alleges that billions of CFA francs could have passed through a network of shell companies, offshore accounts, and discreet investments in complicit financial institutions.

They were charged along with Mohamed Ali Saliou, who was the deputy chief of staff to former President Ali Bongo.

Twelve defendants are implicated in the case, including Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, the former chief of staff of Noureddin Bongo Valentin, and Ella Ekogha Jessye, who worked as director of presidential communication. The trial will continue on Wednesday.

Ali Bongo was deposed in a military coup in Gabon in 2023, putting an end to the Bongo family’s decades-long rule over the oil-rich Central African nation. He is not implicated in the corruption charges.