A year ago, Brice Laccruche Alihanga, former chief of staff of President Ali Bongo, was arrested and then jailed in Libreville Central Prison for embezzlement of public funds and money laundering. With him also fell more than a dozen former ministers, deputies and other senior officials. Seized by Laccruche Alihanga’s lawyer, the UN working group against arbitrary detention calls for the release of him and his relatives.
as reported from Libreville, Yves Laurent Goma
The opinion of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, dated 10 December, amounts to a total of 15 pages. The document shows arguments from lawyers and attorneys for Brice Laccruche Alihanga, Grégory Laccruche, Patrichi Tanasa, Julien Engonga Owono and Geaurge Ekoh. Their lawyers condemn a sloppy and non-compliant procedure, inhuman detention conditions, torture in the cell and a long stay in isolation.
The government, for its part, claims that the procedures were regular. The respondents had visits from their lawyers and relatives.
In conclusion, the working group confirms that the detention of Lacccruche and his friends is “arbitrary”. He calls for immediate release and compensation. At a news conference on Saturday, December 26, detained lawyer Anges Kevin Nzigou stated that he expects Gabon to implement this statement quickly:
“A six-month deadline has been set for the Gabonese government, which will be a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council from January.”
When contacted, the government declined to comment, saying it could communicate next week.
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