Guinea's ex-Constitutional Court president sentenced to seven years in jail

The former president of Guinea's Constitutional Court, Mohamed Lamine Bangoura, was sentenced on Wednesday to seven years in prison by an anti-graft court.

It convicted him of illicit enrichment, corruption, embezzlement of over $20 million dollars in public funds, and money laundering.

Bangoura was also sentenced to a heavy fine and substantial damages to be paid to the state jointly with his two co-defendants, who are both fugitives.

The case against him was in connection to the management of money allocated to the Constitutional Court when he was its head.

Bangoura was also given a 5-year ban from holding public office and the court ordered the confiscation of his assets in Guinea and neighbouring Senegal.

He was among approximately 180 high-ranking officials and former ministers from the administration of ex-president Alpha Conde to be targeted by the court.

Conde was overthrown in a 2021 coup that brought Mamady Doumbouya to power.

Shortly afterwards, the military leaders set up a special court for financial crimes (CRIEF), which handed down Bangoura's sentence on Wednesday.

The former top magistrate, who has been in detention since December 2022, contested the charges against him and his defence team argued for acquittal.

Doumbouya ruled first as junta chief before being elected president last year in a vote with no substantial opposition.

The country's opposition has denounced the suppression of freedoms and alleged the judicial system is being weaponised under his rule.