A candidate for the presidency in Gabon calls for a “fair” trial of the Bongo family

The presidential candidate and former Prime Minister of Gabon, Alan Claude Billy Bay, called for a fair trial for the family of ousted President Ali Bongo, who was overthrown in a military coup on August 30, 2023.

The candidate called for the necessity of conducting an urgent and public trial with the guarantees granted to each citizen in accordance with the laws in force.

Since the overthrow of former President Ali Bongo, the authorities have arrested his wife Silvia Bongo and his son Noureddine, and referred them to the central prison in the capital, Libeville.

The ruling military council accuses the wife of the President of his joking of “money laundering and forgery of government documents”, as well as Noureddine Bongo of “corruption and embezzlement of public funds”, both of whom have been imprisoned for 18 months without being tried.

Last January, the Bongo family’s lawyers said his imprisoned wife “was insulted and intimidated, while the effects of torture appear on the body of Noureddine Bongo,” which the authorities denied.

With the presence of his family inside the prison, the ousted President Ali Bongo resides in the capital, Libeville, with his freedom to leave abroad, according to the government.

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The Bongo family has been singled out by Gabon more than 50 years, accusing them of civilian organizations and human rights organizations of acquiring many of the country’s wealth.

According to local reports in Gabon, the family has real estate in Paris and has balances and shares in many banks and commercial institutions.

Claude will be one of the competitors in the presidential race scheduled for next April 12 against General Press Oli Angima, who announced his candidacy and the head of the transitional phase in the country.

Despite the competition between Claude and Angima in the upcoming elections, they were among the prominent and effective aspects in the previous era, where General Angima held the position of Commander of the Presidential Guard, while Claude held the position of Prime Minister, as he was appointed on January 9, 2023 until August 30, 2023, on the day of the overthrow of the government.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbxgbdtfc

The election campaigns are scheduled to open on March 29, with the polling to be on April 12, while the organized decree of the elections did not specify the date for the second round if it will happen.

The Gabon Electoral Committee accepted only 4 candidates, namely: General Angima, Alan Claude, Stephen Iluko and Joseph Labinsi, while the committee removed 19 other candidates “for not fulfilling the conditions.”

On March 1, political parties in Gabon signed a national charter on the honor of competition in the upcoming elections, in which they called for away from tribal speeches and insults against opponents and competitors.