Equatorial Guinea’s VP loses embezzlement appeal in France – KIRO 7 News Seattle

PARIS – (AP) – France’s highest court on Wednesday upheld the conviction of the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea for laundering and misappropriating millions of dollars in public funds.

The illegally acquired profits are now to be returned to the people of the Central African country as part of a new French legal process to ensure that the money does not get back into corrupt hands.

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of long-time President of Equatorial Guinea, was originally convicted by a Paris court in 2017. The court sentenced him to a three-year suspended sentence, a fine of 30 million euros and the seizure of tens of millions of euros in property in France.

An appeals court upheld the 2020 conviction and the French Court of Cassation dismissed Obiang’s last appeal this week, according to anti-corruption groups that filed the original lawsuit against him 14 years ago.

Obiang claimed he had immunity from prosecution and did not appear at the French trial. His lawyers questioned the jurisdiction of French courts in this case.

“With this decision, the French judiciary is confirming that France is no longer a welcome country for money that is being embezzled by foreign leaders and their entourage,” said Patrick Lefas, head of Transparency International France, an anti-corruption watchdog.

Obiang has been accused of spending tens of millions of dollars in France from corruption, embezzlement and extortion in his country. He has led a lavish lifestyle with luxury and sports cars, designer clothing, works of art of great value, and high-end real estate.

Despite its oil and gas wealth, Equatorial Guinea has a dramatic gap between its privileged ruling class and much of the population, who live mainly on subsistence agriculture. The former Spanish colony is run by Africa’s longest-serving president, Obiang’s father Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

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