The army seized power in West African Gabon and President Ali Bongo Ondimba was ousted on Wednesday. Before that, the Bongo clan had been in power for 55 years and had accumulated wealth during that time. There is talk of a private fleet of planes, homes in France and several luxury cars. Videos circulating online are now said to show the elite hoarding briefcases full of cash.
A clip shows how armed security forces confiscate several bags with thick piles of money in an apartment. According to news site Ghanaweb, the video is authentic and it is unclear to whom the house and money can be attributed: one of the politicians arrested by the coup for treason and money laundering, a son of Ali Bongo or the deposed president herself.
‘They hide money’
A Ugandan human rights activist tweeted: “Bags of money are seized from the home of the president’s son. These people hide money while the citizens starve.’ On Wednesday, the putschists announced that one of Bongo’s sons had also been arrested for treason.
The amount of money is unknown, there are several currencies in the bags including euros, dollars and CFA francs, the local currency in Gabon. Ghanaweb notes that the piles of money still seemed wrapped up, suggesting they were taken from the central bank.
Politicians would like to flee with suitcases full of money
According to African media, another video shows the former senate president of Gabon being stopped by men in uniform who try to escape (see tweet above). They then open a number of trolley cases that are on the back of a pick-up truck. Thick bundles of tens of thousands of CFA franc notes come to light (one euro is approximately 656 CFA francs). According to “Ghanaweb,” experts warn that the money could also have been placed by the coup plotters to defame politicians they disliked.
Made great fortunes
However, the Bongo family has long been accused of corruption. She is reportedly one of the richest families in the world, owns a private fleet of airplanes, several luxury cars and is said to own dozens of properties in France worth millions of euros, according to the non-governmental organization Transparency International.
According to the Africa Facts Zone platform, Omar Bongo, father of Ali Bongo and president of Gabon from 1967 to 2009, owned 70 bank accounts, 39 apartments, six Mercedes, three Porsches, two Ferraris and a Bugatti in France.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
