M r. Toulekima Abandja, the Public Treasury collector in Mekambo, has been detained for the alleged embezzlement of over 166 million FCFA, according to L'Union. This public official exemplifies the cancer of corruption eating away at Gabonese finances: civil servants who loot public funds with total impunity, protected by special statuses and often benefiting from professional solidarity that complicates their incarceration and sentencing.

The "Untouchables" of the Administration : These "collectors" and other public officials act like lords, diverting funds intended for schools, hospitals, and roads under the cover of a complicit administration. Their special status—characterized by easy transfers, gilded retirements, and de facto immunity—makes legal prosecution an uphill battle. The result: endless trials, conditional releases, and the merely symbolic restitution of stolen funds.

A History of Impunity : Past scandals vividly illustrate this lack of accountability. In 2018, the former Director of the Treasury in Port-Gentil embezzled 250 million FCFA without ever serving a lengthy sentence, thanks to union protections. More recently, in 2023, a tax executive in Franceville fled with 120 million FCFA, benefiting from a special regime that delayed his extradition. These repeated cases prove that many public official bodies, including the Public Treasury, believe they are above the law, worsening public debt and stifling development.

A Call for Radical Reform : It is time to dismantle these archaic privileges. Without radical reforms—such as mandatory minimum sentences and the end of special administrative statuses—Gabon will continue to bleed its resources to a caste of white-collar thieves.