Gabon – Patience Dabany trial against CEO: an ongoing procedural battle

In Gabon, famous singer Patience Dabany, also known as Joséphine Bongo, former First Lady, filed a complaint against eight senior members of the movement for excluding her from the CEO in early March.

The trial pitting Patience Dabany, mother of former President Ali Bongo, against her former party, the PDG, in Gabon has not yet addressed the merits of the case. It was thought that the hearing would focus on the heart of the problem, but from the start, the lawyer for the CEO's executives announced an appeal to nullify the proceedings. “The trial court was forced to transfer the case to the Court of Appeal”declared Me Bernard Homa Moussavou.

One of the reasons for this nullity would be the “lis pendens”, that is to say that another complaint was pending against the CEO before the Constitutional Court and one had to wait for its outcome before proceeding to court. During the day, the parties learned that the Constitutional Court had rejected this complaint, thus ending one of the two competing proceedings. “It’s a big victory. I will inform my client”Patience Dabany’s lawyer immediately reacted.

According to Me Jean-Paul Moumbembe, the Court puts an end to the lis pendens. “The other side is trying to gain time, but their argument no longer has any basis. His request has become obsolete”, added the lawyer. Obviously, with this call, the CEO seeks to delay and keep Patience Dabany aside, especially until his next congress.

On the party side, we are waiting to see what the result of the appeal will be, while specifying that other exceptions have been raised.