Audio By Carbonatix
The Ivorian presidential candidate and former rebel leader, Guillaume Soro, has been convicted in absentia of embezzlement and sentenced to 20 years in jail.
He was fined the equivalent of $7.4m (£6m) and barred from civic duties for five years.
The trial was boycotted by Mr Soro's lawyers who said the allegations against him were political and aimed at excluding him from this year's presidential poll.
Mr Soro, who lives in Paris, was accused of using public money to buy a house in the commercial capital, Abidjan.
The property has been confiscated by the court.
The former rebel leader has also been accused of plotting a coup against President Alassane Ouattara who is due to leave office this year.
Mr Soro, who has served as prime minister, retains the loyalty of former rebel commanders who now hold senior positions within the military.
Latest Stories
-
I will give marriage a second chance – Juliet IbrahimÂ
3 hours -
King Charles reflects on ‘pressures of conflict’ in Commonwealth message
4 hours -
Rapper-politician Balendra Shah unseats Nepal’s ex-PM as he heads for victory
4 hours -
Mayor Sadiq Khan invites embattled AI firm Anthropic to expand in London
4 hours -
T-bills auction: Investor interest remains high; interest rates fall to 4.8%
5 hours -
Iran names Khamenei’s hardline son Mojtaba as new supreme leader
5 hours -
US-Iran conflict: Supply chain impacts will be felt globally
5 hours -
Interest rates declined by 23% since January 2025, but market pressures likely to resurface – Report
5 hours -
Explosion at US embassy in Oslo may have been terrorism, Norway police say
5 hours -
Zoomlion MD Doris Adjei honoured with Ghana Women of Excellence Gold Award for Environmental Sustainability
6 hours -
President Mahama bans foreign travel for boards of SOEs and public institutions over rising costs
6 hours -
Withdraw Ghanaian peacekeepers from Lebanon now – LACPSA-Ghana
6 hours -
Give to Gain: strengthening African media through women’s leadership
6 hours -
Chief of Staff urges genuine interpersonal relationships for national unity
7 hours -
Ghana High Commission in London opens Export Trade House
7 hours