Former President Ange-Felix Patassé of the Central African Republic (CAR) has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment with hard labour and part of a fine of five billion francs CFA (US $10 million) for setting up fake companies.
The Criminal Court of the CAR sentenced Patassé and his friend, Louis Sanchez, on Tuesday in absentia without the presence of their lawyers. The law stipulates that a person tried in absentia cannot be represented by a lawyer.
Sanchez, a French citizen of Portuguese origin, was also sentenced to 20 years and ordered to share the fine.
Patassé served as president from August 1993 until his overthrow in March 2003 by François Bozize, the current elected president. Patassé is exiled in Togo, West Africa.
His trial began in 2005 but was postponed until Tuesday to allow for the completion of court investigations into charges of theft of public funds through his fictitious companies.
Patassé owned several companies, among them some supposedly dealing in diamonds. He is accused of also being a major shareholder in many more, including timber-logging firms.
The state prosecutor claimed that Patassé embezzled 70 billion francs ($136 million) during his presidency this way.
Public reaction in the capital, Bangui, to Tuesday's verdict has been mixed. The chairman of the Human Rights League of the CAR, Goune Ngai Wanfio, said on Wednesday the sentence was light and only provisional.
"If Patassé returns home to face trial he would get a fair one and with the help of his lawyers," he said.
Legally there can be a retrial if he returns home and surrenders to the authorities.
Bangui businessman Ali Moustapha added: "The verdict is lenient; I think Patassé should be punished severely because he betrayed the people of the CAR."
However, speaking on condition of anonymity, a university lecturer said: "Twenty years is tough for a former democratically elected president. It is better to ask Patassé to pay five billion CFA to the government as a fine. But the question is, from where is he going to get the money?"
The government has filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Patassé for crimes against humanity. These refer to the atrocities committed by the Mouvement de Libération de Congo of Jean Pierre Bemba whose fighters raped and killed at will when they came to help Patassé put down Bozize's rebellion.
Patassé is the second former ruler in the country to be tried in absentia. The late self-styled emperor, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, was tried in absentia following his downfall in 1979. He returned home voluntarily in 1986 to face trial and received the death penalty. However, the sentence was commuted by former military ruler André Kolingba.
Bokassa was released in August 1993, but died three years later.
jb/oss
The Criminal Court of the CAR sentenced Patassé and his friend, Louis Sanchez, on Tuesday in absentia without the presence of their lawyers. The law stipulates that a person tried in absentia cannot be represented by a lawyer.
Sanchez, a French citizen of Portuguese origin, was also sentenced to 20 years and ordered to share the fine.
Patassé served as president from August 1993 until his overthrow in March 2003 by François Bozize, the current elected president. Patassé is exiled in Togo, West Africa.
His trial began in 2005 but was postponed until Tuesday to allow for the completion of court investigations into charges of theft of public funds through his fictitious companies.
Patassé owned several companies, among them some supposedly dealing in diamonds. He is accused of also being a major shareholder in many more, including timber-logging firms.
The state prosecutor claimed that Patassé embezzled 70 billion francs ($136 million) during his presidency this way.
Public reaction in the capital, Bangui, to Tuesday's verdict has been mixed. The chairman of the Human Rights League of the CAR, Goune Ngai Wanfio, said on Wednesday the sentence was light and only provisional.
"If Patassé returns home to face trial he would get a fair one and with the help of his lawyers," he said.
Legally there can be a retrial if he returns home and surrenders to the authorities.
Bangui businessman Ali Moustapha added: "The verdict is lenient; I think Patassé should be punished severely because he betrayed the people of the CAR."
However, speaking on condition of anonymity, a university lecturer said: "Twenty years is tough for a former democratically elected president. It is better to ask Patassé to pay five billion CFA to the government as a fine. But the question is, from where is he going to get the money?"
The government has filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Patassé for crimes against humanity. These refer to the atrocities committed by the Mouvement de Libération de Congo of Jean Pierre Bemba whose fighters raped and killed at will when they came to help Patassé put down Bozize's rebellion.
Patassé is the second former ruler in the country to be tried in absentia. The late self-styled emperor, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, was tried in absentia following his downfall in 1979. He returned home voluntarily in 1986 to face trial and received the death penalty. However, the sentence was commuted by former military ruler André Kolingba.
Bokassa was released in August 1993, but died three years later.
jb/oss
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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