GABON: FRANCE WANTS TO OPEN A TRIAL AGAINST PASCALINE BONGO, THE SISTER OF GABON’S DEPOSED PRESIDENT, ON CORRUPTION CHARGES
The Bongo family’s nightmare is far from over. This time, France has announced its intention to try Pascaline Bongo for passive corruption. According to the newspaper “Libération”, the hearing will take place on 29 January and 1 February 2024.
The announcement comes at the end of a four-year investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office into the sister of deposed President Ali Bongo.
The 67-year-old is suspected of passive corruption.
In addition to Mrs Bongo, who, according to the investigation, has been revealed to be the trusted confidant of her father, former Gabonese president Omar Bongo, who ruled Gabon from 1967 to 2009, the list of defendants includes six other natural and legal persons, including the construction company Edis, as well as a lawyer, Danyèle Palazo-Gauthier, suspected of complicity in corruption.
In the case, representatives of Edis subsidiary Edis Route allegedly promised Pascaline Bongo around €8 million to help her win government contracts in Gabon.
Mrs Bongo then assured the French company that it would participate in the creation of the National Agency for the Construction of Gabon’s Capital.
For the time being, Edis denies these allegations, and Mrs Bongo’s lawyer does not agree with the public prosecutor either.
