A court in Guinea has imposed a five-year prison sentence on former Defence Minister Mohamed Diané for charges including corruption, illicit enrichment, embezzlement, and money laundering.
Diané, who held office under former President Alpha Condé from 2015 to 2021, is also required to pay a fine of $58.5 million. Additionally, the state will confiscate his properties located in Conakry and Kankan, as well as his bank accounts.
The judge determined that Diané failed to provide a legitimate explanation for the source of his wealth. He has been in custody since May 2022 as part of a broad anti-corruption initiative initiated by the military junta following its coup in 2021.
Led by Gen Mamady Doumbouya, the junta has made combating corruption a priority in the economically challenged West African nation, establishing a specialized anti-corruption court. By the end of 2022, legal actions had been initiated against more than 180 individuals, including former officials and ex-President Condé.
Although the anti-corruption efforts were initially welcomed, critics now claim that the junta is targeting political adversaries and delaying the transition to democracy. Promised elections and a referendum on a new constitution have not yet occurred, raising concerns that Gen Doumbouya may exploit this delay to maintain his authority.
