In Gabon, Ike Ngouoni, former spokesman for the presidency of the Gabonese Republic from September 2017 to November 2019, was sentenced on Tuesday July 26 to eight years in prison. His assistant, who appeared free, was given a five-year suspended prison sentence. They were both prosecuted for embezzlement of public funds, misappropriation and money laundering.
With our correspondent in Libreville, Yves-Laurent Goma
Immediately after the decision, Ike Ngouoni was taken back to Libreville central prison where he had already been in preventive detention for nearly three years. The court found him guilty of embezzling seven billion CFA francs. In addition to the eight-year prison sentence, he is also ordered to pay five billion CFA francs to the state.
It is a denial of justice, denounced his lawyer, Maître Anges Kevin Nzigou, who persists in maintaining that his client has never managed public funds: “ Ike Ngouoni purely and simply deserved the acquittal, it is a profound denial of justice in my country. »
It is a fair decision, reacted master Haymard Moutsinga, lawyer of the State: ” It is a reassuring decision, everyone must understand that one cannot manipulate public funds with impunity, with imprudence. So yes, this is a decision that suits us. »
Ike Ngouoni was one of the strong men of power. He fell out of favor in November 2019 as part of a clean hands operation that landed several executives in prison, including Brice Laccruche Alihanga, former chief of staff of Ali Bongo.