A court in Guinea has sentenced former President of the Constitutional Court, Mohamed Bangoura, to seven years in prison for corruption, illicit enrichment, embezzlement of more than 20 million dollars in public funds and money laundering.
The anti-corruption court, known as the Court for the Repression of Economic and Financial Crimes (CRIEF), delivered the judgment.
Bangoura was also fined and ordered to pay substantial damages to the state jointly with two co-defendants, who are currently fugitives.
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The court further barred him from holding public office for five years and ordered the confiscation of his assets in Guinea and neighbouring Senegal.
The case relates to the management of funds allocated to the Constitutional Court during Bangoura’s tenure as its president.
Bangoura, who has been in detention since December 2022, denied the allegations, while his defence team urged the court to acquit him.
He was among about 180 senior officials and former ministers from the administration of former President Alpha Condé who were targeted in the anti-corruption campaign.
Condé was ousted in a military coup in 2021, which brought Mamady Doumbouya to power. Shortly afterwards, the military authorities established CRIEF to investigate and prosecute economic and financial crimes.
Doumbouya initially ruled as head of the military junta before being elected president in a vote held last year.
However, opposition groups have criticised his administration over alleged restrictions on civil liberties and accused the government of using the judiciary to target political opponents.
