Bongo Valentin was arrested shortly after last month’s coup
LIBREVILLE, Sept 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The state prosecutor in Gabon says the eldest son of the ousted president, Ali Bongo, and several of his political allies have been charged with high treason and corruption.
Noureddin Bongo Valentin, who’s 31, was arrested shortly after last month’s coup.
National TV showed images of him and some of his father’s close allies in front of suitcases of cash it said had been seized from their homes.
They have not commented on the allegations.
The military seized power soon after Ali Bongo was declared the winner of Gabon’s presidential election.
He’d been in office since 2009 when he succeeded his father who had ruled the country for 41 years.
Meanwhile, Gabon has been partially suspended from the Commonwealth after military commanders carried out a coup ousting President Ali Bongo.
The decision was made by Commonwealth foreign ministers meeting on the margins of the United Nations general assembly.
Leaders called on Gabon to uphold the values and principles of the Commonwealth.
They asked the country to hold credible elections as soon as possible.
The foreign ministers – sitting as the Commonwealth ministerial action group – have requested Gabon guarantee Bongo’s safety and that of his family, and said in a statement that they “strongly condemned the unconstitutional removal of the elected government from office”.
They said Gabon’s suspension was in place “pending the restoration of democracy”. It excludes Gabon from all Commonwealth intergovernmental meetings and events, including ministerial and heads of government meetings.
Commonwealth ministers gave the new leaders of Gabon two years from 30 August 2023 to hold credible elections. They added in the statement that if progress was not made in that time, the country may be removed from the group altogether. — NNN-AGENCIES
