Lawyers reject charges against Gbagbo as "unconstitutional"

Lawyers for former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo rejected on Friday charges against him, saying the move was not legal, according to dpa. Gbagbo was charged on Thursday with economic crimes, including looting, armed robbery, and embezzlement. His wife, Simone Gbagbo,who was a member of parliament, was charged earlier in the week. However, lawyer Habiba Toure said that as a former head of state,Gbagbo was entitled to special procedures and could not be charged in the regular manner, as the prosecutors had done. It was "unconstitutional" to charge the couple with the economic crimes, Toure said.Gbagbo was arrested in April and deposed, after thousands are estimated to have been killed in post-election violence. Around 1 million people were also displaced.The prosecutors' charges say he used state funds in a final effort to stay in power after the elections in November last year, when the international community recognised his opponent, President Alassane Ouattara, as the winner.