
Chinese businessman Zhang Guo Hua arrested in Libreville after year-long international warrant
Chinese businessman Zhang Guo Hua was arrested in Libreville on August 21, 2026, by the Judicial Police, a year after an international arrest warrant was issued by the Libreville public prosecutor's office. He was previously incarcerated until October 2024 and obtained provisional release in December 2024, reportedly for health reasons that investigations now suggest were fictitious. During this period of provisional release, in September 2025, Zhang Guo Hua allegedly orchestrated the kidnapping of a compatriot. The investigation has also uncovered a financial fraud scheme involving shell companies in the United States and Singapore, which were used to launder money from fraudulent investment projects. Three Chinese nationals, Zhang Wu Xing, Xu Jian Hua, and Zhang Wan Li, reportedly lost billions of CFA francs. Additionally, Zhang Guo Hua is implicated in the illegal management of a casino in the Acaes district and the systematic non-payment of his employees. He is currently awaiting trial at the central prison of Libreville, and the ongoing investigation aims to determine how he managed to evade justice for a year despite the international warrant and whether he benefited from any influential protections or complicities.



