Gabon Opposition Leader Detained Over Alleged Fraud Case
Last update: April 17, 2026
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Gabon's main opposition leader Bilie-By-Nze placed in pre-trial detention..
Gabon's former prime minister and opposition leader Alain-Claude Bilie-By-Nze was placed in pre-trial detention on Thursday night, according to media report.
Bilie-By-Nze, who was arrested at his home on Wednesday evening, is under investigation for alleged fraud and breach of trust, prosecutor Dick Fabrice Boungou Mikolo said in a statement.
A senior member of his party and a source close to the case, both speaking on condition of anonymity, said the outspoken government critic was taken into custody on Thursday evening.
His party, Ensemble pour le Gabon, condemned the arrest as "brutal and clearly against the basic principles of the rule of law", adding that the case dates back to 2008.
The prosecutor said the investigation followed a complaint filed by a Gabonese citizen implicating Bilie-By-Nze.
He said the allegations relate to the non-repayment of five million CFA francs (about 7,625 euros) said to have been received following the organisation of a cultural festival.
EPG said the matter stemmed from a debt the Gabonese state had failed to settle at the time, when Bilie-By-Nze chaired the festival's organising committee.
The party added that a third party is now seeking repayment, attributing the debt personally to him despite his role being within an institutional framework.
