Pascaline Bongo, the sister of deposed president Ali Bongo, once again finds herself at the heart of the news. Accused of passive corruption, she faces trial at the Paris courthouse. This case highlights the questionable practices surrounding the obtaining of public contracts in Gabon.
During the second day of the hearing, the directors of the Egis Route company were called to the stand. This company is accused of having paid the sum of 8 million euros to Pascaline Bongo so that she could facilitate obtaining contracts in Gabon. The judge questioned company executives to understand the procedures put in place to prevent corruption and determine the responsibilities of the different actors.
The first to speak was Christian Laugier, former general director of Egis Route. He claimed not to be aware of the functions held by Pascaline Bongo, otherwise he would have refused any partnership due to the risk of conflict of interest. He also highlighted the zero tolerance policy towards corruption put in place by Egis.
Gérard Vallat, former deputy general director of Egis, admitted not knowing that Pascaline Bongo was at the head of the Sift company. He claims to have discovered this information during his interview with investigators. It was Yannick Couegnat, former operational director, who introduced Pascaline Bongo into this matter. He had been put in touch with her by Franck Ping, son of a former Gabonese minister, and was also unaware that she held important positions within the presidency.
Despite subsequent verifications which classified Pascaline Bongo as a “Particularly Exposed Political Personality”, Egis decided to continue its partnership with her, subject to full transparency. However, judges raised questions about gaps in the checks and precautions taken by the company.
This trial highlights the corrupt practices that can taint the award of public contracts in Gabon. It also raises questions about the responsibility of foreign companies that collaborate with Gabonese political figures. It is essential to put in place strict procedures to prevent corruption and ensure fairness in public procurement.
This case only reinforces the importance of the fight against corruption and transparency in public affairs. It is necessary for governments to strengthen control and prevention measures, and for foreign companies to ensure that they operate legally and ethically when doing business abroad.
In conclusion, the trial of Pascaline Bongo highlights the issues linked to passive corruption and questionable practices in obtaining public contracts.. He recalls the need to fight corruption and promote transparency in public affairs, in order to guarantee fairness and legality in all transactions.