Former Ivorian Prime Minister, Guillaume Soro has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption.
The 47-year-old was found guilty of “embezzlement of public funds” and “money laundering” when he bought his Abidjan residence in 2007, while he was prime minister of a government of national unity.
Soro was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, 4.5 billion FCFA (6.8 million euros) in fines, the confiscation” of his house, deprivation of his civil rights, and ordered to pay 2 billion FCFA (3 million euros) in damages to the state of Côte d’Ivoire.
“I am still running for the presidency and I will win,” Soro said after the verdict, describing the trial as a “parody”.
The court issued a fresh arrest warrant against him, in effect barring him from contesting elections, and ordered him to pay three million euros in damages and interest to the state.
