Gabon’s military-appointed government says it will invest more than $10 million and distribute hundreds of luxury vehicles said to be part of ill-gotten wealth recovered from family and friends of ousted President Ali Bongo since the military junta took power about six weeks ago.
The government says the money will be used to provide public social amenities such as water, electricity and education. Gabon’s military junta says the government, appointed by transitional President General Brice Oligui Nguema, has begun consultations to determine how best to use the items recovered from state officials and business executives under the rule of ousted President Bongo.
Raymond Ndong Sima, Gabon’s prime minister, said Nguema instructed him to meet with all government ministers before investing ill-gotten wealth recovered by the military junta since it seized power on August 30. He said Nguema has launched an irreversible battle against impunity and corruption and the military junta’s government wants to recover all ill-gotten wealth.
Sima said on Gabon state TV on Monday that the junta has recovered about $11.6 million and close to 350 luxury vehicles over the past 45 days. Nguema told Gabon’s state TV that he has issued guidelines on how to distribute the recovered vehicles.
Nguema said the 344 vehicles his government recovered from current and past senior state functionaries and partners of former President Bongo should be distributed to government institutions, especially schools, universities, hospitals, and water and electricity companies that need them to improve the living conditions of citizens.
The junta has not said who the funds and vehicles were seized from, nor explained how they were recovered. In September, the junta said it had arrested and detained Noureddin Bongo Valentin, son of ousted President Bongo, as well as five of the deposed leader’s aides and members of his cabinet. They were charged with various crimes that included treason and corruption.
The military said Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, the ousted president’s wife, is being held under house arrest for corruption, money laundering and misappropriation of Gabon state funds. Video of troops searching the homes of former cabinet members and seizing trunks, suitcases and bags filled with banknotes, were shown on state TV.
Joseph Marie Efoudo, a lecturer in political science at the University of Yaounde, said Nguema does not want to be seen as someone who betrayed the public in Gabon, which appears to have supported the August coup.
Before the coup, the Bongo family ruled Gabon for 56 years. Efoudo said Nguema is carrying out historic changes less than 45 days after he seized power to prove to the international community that the military junta he leads saved Gabon from a long, ironfisted rule that impoverished civilians of the oil-producing nation.
By doing so, he said, Nguema expects the international community to lift sanctions imposed to press for a return to civilian rule in Gabon. Gabon’s opposition and civil society groups say the government also needs to investigate real estate empires and huge amounts of money hidden in foreign banks by the Bongo family and their close aides. They say bringing back the money could ease high levels of poverty.
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