Alain Claude Bilie By Nze’s legal representatives have confirmed that their client has been detained for more than three months in connection with a long-standing private dispute. In a recent statement, they argue that this disagreement, involving approximately 7,600 euros and originating in 2008, has been used as the basis for his arrest. According to the political party Ensemble pour le Gabon, the former head of government faces charges of fraud and breach of trust. Alain Claude Bilie By Nze served as Prime Minister prior to General Brice Oligui Nguema’s ascent to power following the August 2023 coup. He subsequently ran in the presidential election won by General Nguema, though without success in overturning the outcome.

Concerns raised about detention conditions and legal process

Counsel for the opposition leader reports that he is being held in a five-square-meter cell, completely devoid of natural light, within a correctional facility in Libreville. They also highlight a period of 100 days of isolation, which they describe as “political and arbitrary.” Furthermore, the defense maintains that it has never been granted access to the procedural file. Reportedly, the investigating judge indicated that he no longer possessed the relevant documents. A request filed by the lawyers to annul the procedure was denied on June 2nd by the Libreville Court of Appeal. “A man is being held based on a file that his defense has never been permitted to see,” stated attorney Arthur Vercken in the communiqué issued by the defense team. The August 2023 coup brought an end to over five decades of rule by the Bongo family. Brice Oligui Nguema was subsequently elected president in a ballot presented by the new authorities as a step towards a return to civilian governance. Alain Claude Bilie By Nze’s incarceration occurs amidst a political climate characterized by the reorganization of institutions following this transition.