Pascaline Bongo, eldest daughter of Omar Bongo, will be tried in early 2024 in Paris, with the company Egis Route, a subsidiary of the French construction group Egis, and five other people, for suspicion of corruption linked to public contracts in Gabon in 2010 and 2011, we learned on Friday from a judicial source. This trial, revealed by Release Thursday, will be held from January 29 to February 1, 2024.
Pascaline Bongo, who was her father’s chief of staff until his death in 2009, then worked with her brother Ali Bongo, who became head of state of Gabon, as revealed Release Thursday, is suspected of having agreed to intervene in favor of Egis Route for the award of public contracts against the promise of 8 million euros. She will be tried for passive bribery of a foreign public official.
A structure created by Ali Bongo
Pascaline Bongo, who disputes the facts, “has not been in contact with anyone, there is no signed contract and nothing in the file allows us to say that there was a transfer of money”, said affirmed his lawyer Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt. “Nothing is wrong with the case, the procedure and the criminal charges,” she added. According to ReleasePascaline Bongo, 67, had accepted a “fictitious partnership” so that Egis would participate in the creation of the National Agency for Major Works of Gabon via a public consulting contract.
This structure, created by Ali Bongo after his arrival at the head of Gabon, supervised major infrastructure projects such as roads, stadiums and public real estate projects. Also announced on the dock, the company Egis Route as well as two former executives of the company and the current commercial director, Christian Laugier, formerly in charge of Africa activities and general director of the group. These three men are suspected of having offered Pascaline Bongo a kickback of 8 million euros in exchange for a contract. “We reserve our explanations for the hearing but we can already indicate that we contest the facts of corruption with the greatest firmness,” reacted the French group specializing in the construction of roads and infrastructure around the world. .