The scandal of “ill-gotten gains” returns to the forefront with the fall of Ali Bongo, deposed president of Gabon. In fact, around thirty luxury properties owned by the Bongo clan are currently subject to seizure by French justice. This case then raises the question of the future use of these assets.
Communist elected officials on the Paris city council recently proposed a surprising idea: recover these seized properties and transform them into social housing. This proposal aims to respond to the glaring lack of affordable housing in the French capital.
The Paris Court of Appeal has already established that these assets were acquired illegally, thanks to embezzlement of public funds and acts of corruption linked to oil companies. Suffice to say that justice leans in favor of the seizure of these ill-gotten assets.
However, this proposal sparked reactions from both sides. The Gabonese authorities spoke out against this idea, asking why these goods would be transferred to the city of Paris without even consulting the Gabonese authorities. For their part, the French authorities recall that the decision cannot be taken unilaterally and that a restitution mechanism adopted in 2021 provides for cooperation between States to decide on the use of seized property.
Transparency International, an organization fighting corruption, emphasizes that confiscated property must be returned to those to whom it really belongs, that is to say the Gabonese people. The challenge is therefore to find an equitable solution for the use of these ill-gotten assets, a solution which is in accordance with the desire to fight against corruption and the development of the country.
The proposal to transform these properties into social housing may seem audacious, but it also reflects a desire to use these illegally acquired properties for the common good. It remains to be seen how this case will evolve and what the final decision will be regarding the use of these seized assets.
In conclusion, the ill-gotten gains scandal continues to make headlines, with the fall of Ali Bongo and the question of the future of these properties seized in France. The proposal to transform them into social housing sparks debates and questions about the best use of these illegally acquired properties. It is essential to find a fair solution that serves the interests of the Gabonese people and contributes to the fight against corruption.