A special court in Guinea has handed down a five-year prison sentence to the country's former prime minister for corruption and embezzlement of public funds. The ex-prime minister, who served under former President Alpha Condé, was also fined 2 billion Guinean francs ($230,000) during the sentencing in Conakry.
The court found the former prime minister guilty of embezzling up to 15 billion Guinean francs ($1.7 million) from social welfare programs, including those meant to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This case is part of a broader effort to hold officials from the previous administration accountable for financial misconduct.
The convicted prime minister, who held office from May 2018 until September 2021 when the military seized power, has been in detention since April 2022 following his arrest on corruption charges. Despite denying the allegations and claiming they were politically motivated, he was unable to secure permission to seek medical treatment abroad as his trial progressed.
Guinea, like several other West African nations, has experienced military takeovers that have disrupted the transition to civilian rule. The current junta leader, Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, ousted the former president in 2021, citing governance failures and corruption. However, concerns have been raised by human rights activists about a crackdown on dissent and freedoms under the new regime.
