Is Bongo Ondimba, president of Gabon, milking his country?

A mansion worth £15m in one of Paris’s most elegant districts has become the latest of 33 luxury properties bought in France by President Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, the world’s longest-serving leader, and his family, it was alleged last week. 

According to files seen by The Sunday Times, a French judicial investigation has discovered that Bongo, 72, and his relatives also bought a fleet of limousines, including a £308,823 Maybach for his wife, Edith, 44. Payment for some of the cars was taken directly from the treasury of Gabon, a country rich in oil. 

Bongo, who started his career as a postal worker, has ruled for 40 years and has become one of wealthiest leaders in the world while 30% of his people eke out a living on less than 50p a day. More...

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