Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, the wife of Gabon’s deposed President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been under house arrest since the late August coup in the central African country, has been officially incarcerated.

This information was confirmed by her lawyer, Francois Zimeray, who strongly criticized the “arbitrary and illegal procedure” surrounding her arrest.

Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin is facing allegations of embezzling public funds and had previously been charged with money laundering, forgery, and falsification of records on September 28.

She had been kept under house arrest in Libreville, the capital, since the August 30 coup that marked the end of the 55-year Bongo dynasty rule. The coup leaders claim that the former head of state and his associates manipulated election results.

Furthermore, they accuse Sylvia Bongo and her son, Nourredin Bongo Valentin, of effectively running the oil-rich nation for the past five years and misappropriating public funds. Nourredin Bongo Valentin has been detained and charged with corruption in connection with these allegations.

Lawyer Zimeray condemned the arrest as an “illegal procedure,” emphasizing the distinction between justice and arbitrary actions, and between the rule of law and acts of revenge. As of now, there has been no response from the public prosecutor in Libreville regarding these developments.

The coup that ousted Ali Bongo, who had been in power since 2009, occurred immediately after he was declared the winner of a presidential election. This event was perceived by many as a liberation rather than a traditional military coup. Ali Bongo had succeeded his father, Omar, who had ruled Gabon for nearly 42 years until his death in 2009.

Despite being one of Africa’s wealthiest nations in terms of per-capita GDP, a significant portion of Gabon’s population continues to live below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.