A court in Gabon has found former Speaker of the parliament and opposition figure Guy Nzouba-Ndama guilty of money laundering and espionage for a foreign country after he was arrested with around $2 million upon return from a trip to neighboring Congo Brazzaville, accused of alleged support for the opposition.
Arrested Saturday, 17th Sept., at border between the two countries with the sum found in three suitcases, the leader of Les Democrates party has been since transferred to capital Libreville for hearing.
The public prosecutor ordered to put him under house arrest and charged him with money laundering and espionage for a foreign country.
Later, along with his family, M. Nzouba-Ndama, after having denyied it, recognised that the $2 million in cash were a gift from the president of Congo Brazzaville Denis Sassou Nguesso.
Ndama’s trip to Congo Brazzaville came as Gabon gears up for presidential elections, expected in 2023.
This could mark the end of M. Nzouba Ndama’s long political career.
Voices from opposition and civil society in Congo Brazzaville have accused M. Sassou Nguesso’s regime of « generously » sponsoring gabonese opponents while people in the country are suffering.
