We now know more about the case affecting the former Minister of Mines, Hervé Patrick Opiangah, who refused to appear for a court summons last Wednesday. Accused of rape and embezzlement of a minor by ascendant, Opiangah affirms that the prosecutions against him are motivated by political rivalries and not by proven facts. Faced with this situation, on the run for several days, we learned on Sunday that he had submitted a request for political asylum to the embassy, hoping to escape Gabonese justice.
Opiangah’s initiative has caused a stir within the Gabonese political class and civil society, while posing a diplomatic challenge for the United States, which must rule on his asylum request. For their part, the Gabonese judicial authorities insist on the non-political nature of the case. According to the prosecution, it is above all a matter of morals which dates back to 2027. The testimony of his wife, who is also the mother of the young woman concerned, could prove decisive in moving the case forward. The authorities will have to convince the American ambassador of the merits of the accusations, stressing that it is not a question of political persecution.
The former minister and businessman with unbridled sexual morals
Tensions are rising as Gabonese justice prepares its arguments for tomorrow, with the aim of convincing American diplomacy that this matter falls strictly within the criminal domain. Opiangah’s request for asylum thus triggered a public debate around diplomatic protection, judicial sovereignty and the responsibility of political figures. Beyond the legal issue, this case could influence relations between Gabon and the United States, by raising delicate questions about international judicial cooperation.
For the moment, speculation is rife: if the United States rejects his request for asylum, Opiangah could be arrested and tried in Gabon. But if his request is successful, he could obtain refugee status and leave the country under diplomatic protection, thus escaping national justice. This outcome would leave a bitter taste in its wake for human rights defenders and would pose new challenges to Gabonese legislation.
While public opinion closely follows this explosive affair, the question remains open: will Gabonese justice succeed in making its voice heard or will diplomacy end up prevailing? The continuation of this judicial soap opera will be a major test for the credibility of Gabon’s judicial institutions and diplomatic relations. As a reminder, the accused, who was the husband of the victim’s mother with whom they had 4 children, finally left him to marry his wife’s daughter whom he allegedly kidnapped and violated as well as her relatives.
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