Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, spouse of former Gabonese President Ali Bongo, is under suspicion for allegedly funneling millions into a Geneva-based bank account, with these funds reportedly originating from public embezzlement.
Authorities in Geneva have been actively investigating the former Gabonese first lady since 2023. The Swiss judiciary is probing an alleged money laundering scheme involving Sylvia Bongo Ondimba, the wife of former Gabonese President Ali Bongo.
“An active money laundering investigation is currently being conducted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Geneva,” an official statement confirms.
In connection with this ongoing process, Swiss officials formally requested judicial cooperation from Gabon. While Libreville did not respond directly to this request for assistance, the Gabonese state has since taken the step of registering as a civil plaintiff before the Genevan courts. Sylvia Bongo challenged this move, but the Geneva Criminal Appeals Chamber upheld Gabon’s right to participate in the proceedings at the end of May.
This Swiss inquiry unfolds concurrently with Sylvia Bongo’s prior conviction in Gabon, where she received a 20-year prison sentence in absentia for charges of embezzlement.
