Noureddin Bongo Valentin, the eldest son of Gabon president, is reportedly in custody and is believed to be 31 years old, according to the French news agency AFP.
Valentin was appointed “co-ordinator of presidential affairs” in 2019 and held the position for 21 months, according to Radio France Internationale.
The chief of staff for the president, Ian Ghislain Ngoulou, as well as two other presidential aides and the two most senior members of the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) are also rumoured to have been detained.
The military claimed that the six face charges including treason, theft, corruption, and forging the president’s signature.