The legal troubles of Brice Laccruche-Alihanga continue to unfold. The former chief of staff to ex-President Ali Bongo has faced multiple trials since late May. On Monday, June 3rd, his third trial began before the Special Criminal Court in Libreville. Laccruche-Alihanga is accused of embezzling public funds and money laundering related to accounting services for the presidency. However, his lawyers have decided to boycott the proceedings.
Laccruche-Alihanga is accused in connection with a contract he signed with accountant Gérard Fanou, who is also on trial for complicity. The contract involved services for the presidency amounting to several billion CFA francs, paid through a private account of former President Ali Bongo. On Tuesday, June 4, the court session did not proceed, and the judge postponed the case to June 12. This delay followed the announcement by Laccruche-Alihanga’s five lawyers on Monday that they would be boycotting the trial.
“The rights of the defense are not being respected; our arguments are not being heard. We have heard outrageous claims from the Gabonese state. They want to become a civil party in a procedure where they themselves acknowledge that the account is private, and we want to address this point. The court believes we should not respond, and it will make a deliberate decision. We consider this the last straw,” explained Anges Kevin Nzigou, one of Laccruche-Alihanga’s lawyers.
“The state’s lawyer says, ‘Yes, we know it’s a private account, but what interests us are the funds; the funds are public.’ This is simply impossible. The definition of public funds is that they are gathered according to public accounting rules; you can never have public funds in a private account. If we are not allowed to state this to advance the procedure, we feel there is nothing left for us to do in this process, and the verdict is already known. We are merely participating in a judicial farce,” Nzigou continued.
The court president has requested the bar association to appoint a court-appointed lawyer for Laccruche-Alihanga. Nzigou deems this request illegal, arguing that Laccruche-Alihanga already has legal representation. He promises to file an appeal if this process goes forward.
This development adds another layer of complexity to Laccruche-Alihanga’s ongoing legal battles, highlighting issues of procedural fairness and the integrity of the judicial process in Gabon. As the case progresses, the international community and legal observers will undoubtedly keep a close watch on the proceedings and their implications for justice and the rule of law in Gabon.