Hours after the August 30, 2023 coup was announced in Gabon, two videos went viral not only in the country but across the world.
The two, trended for different reasons.
The more controversial video was of a massive cash discovery allegedly in the home of a detained politician.
Different accounts have tagged the loot to one of seven politicians detained by the junta on charges of treason, money laundering, corruption among other charges.
Others have even alluded to the monies having been found at the home of president Ali Bongo himself, which according to experts is farfetched.
GhanaWeb is unable to independently authenticate the ownership of the funds especially as neither the junta nor the media have reported on it.
What the video contained:
In the 23-second video, about a dozen big travel suitcases have been flung open and each one is filled with bundles of cash to the brim.
From what this reporter saw, the bundles are largely untouched with their polythene wrapper and are likely to have been dispatched from the central bank or a holding point.
The officials inspecting the sums include one in simple clothes whiles another, dressed like a member of the security agency is also sighted.
There are armed security men also captured in the video.
Some experts have warned that in times like this, such amounts could be planted at homes of politicians as a way of implicating them for trumped-up charges by adversaries who may be in position of power.
Verification:
In order to be sure that the particular video has not at any point been circulated online, GhanaWeb did a video verification using InVid WeVerify software.
From our findings, the video has not previously been uploaded online. A further search of screenshots from the video did not return any old matches via Google Reverse Image and Tin Eye searches.
Deposed Ali Bongo appeals for “noise” from friends
The other video was a 53-second video of the ousted president, Ali Bongo, confirming the coup whiles calling for allies across the world to make “noise.”
It generated considerable reaction from people who slammed him for being desperate about power and holding on despite failing health.
Almost all media channels across the world have use it in full or in part for their reports on the situation in Gabon.
Other videos that gained popularity were the formal announcement of the coup plus the announcement of Brice Oligui Nguema as head of the transition.
ghanaweb.com
