A French courtroom volition on Fri manus downwards a verdict inwards the landmark "ill-gotten gains" trial of Equatorial Guinea's vice president, who is defendant of raiding his country's coffers to fund a jet-set lifestyle inwards Paris.
Teodorin Obiang, the 48-year-old boy of the country's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, is defendant of spending to a greater extent than than 1,000 times his official annual salary on a six-storey mansion inwards a posh purpose of Paris, a fleet of fast cars, a collection of luxury suits as well as artworks.
The case, which was kickstarted past times 2 anti-corruption groups, is the start inwards a trio targeting families of African leaders defendant of living it upward inwards French Republic on the proceeds of corruption.
The entourages of 2 other long-serving African leaders create got also been investigated: belatedly Gabonese leader Omar Bongo as well as the Republic of Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
Prosecutors inwards Obiang's illustration struggle he could non create got funded his ultra-luxurious lifestyle without pilfering populace coin inwards his due west African homeland, where to a greater extent than than one-half the population lives inwards abject poverty.
They create got called for him to hold upward given a three-year jail term as well as a xxx million-euro ($35 million) fine if convicted of embezzlement, corruption, misuse of assets as well as breach of trust.
But it is unlikely the millionaire playboy amongst a gustation for Michael Jackson memorabilia volition serve fourth dimension if convicted.
He did non attend his three-week trial inwards June as well as July inwards Paris as well as is also non expected inwards courtroom for the verdict.
He has dismissed the illustration equally a "farce" aimed at damaging the icon of sub-Saharan Africa's third-biggest crude producer.
His lawyers defendant French authorities of "meddling inwards the affairs of a sovereign state" as well as said a guilty verdict would require the courtroom to investigate the legality of all his purchases, taking French Republic beyond its jurisdiction.
- Suitcases of cash -
Obiang was agriculture as well as forestry government minister earlier his 75-year-old begetter -- inwards ability since 1979 -- made him 2nd vice president inwards 2012 as well as and therefore start vice president final year.
Many of his eye-popping purchases were allegedly made through Somagui Forestal, a forestry fellowship that prosecutors called "an empty trounce used entirely to channel populace money."
His tastes included abrupt suits from Paris's overstep tailors, whom he paid amongst suitcases of cash.
Obiang said the coin came from legitimate sources as well as that all his purchases were legal.
- Coup plotter -
The trial had a minute of drama when old British mercenary Simon Mann, who led a failed 2004 coup inwards Equatorial Guinea, took to the stand upward to evidence on behalf of the regime he tried to overthrow.
Mann, who spent several years inwards prison theatre inwards Equatorial Guinea, alleged that the illustration brought past times the NGOs Sherpa as well as Transparency International bore the imprint of U.S.A. billionaire George Soros, whom he defendant of plotting to overthrow Obiang's father.
The affair start made headlines inwards 2011 when French law raided Obiang's mansion on the glitzy Avenue Foch inwards Paris, hiring trucks to haul away a fleet of Bugattis, Ferraris, a Rolls-Royce Phantom as well as other cars from the scene.
Investigators seized the holding a yr later.
Prosecutors create got asked the courtroom to confiscate the mansion, which is valued at 107 i K m euros ($123 million).
Equatorial Republic of Guinea argues that the edifice is a diplomatic residence as well as has referred the affair to the International Court of Justice inwards The Hague, the UN's overstep court.
In an interim ruling final year, the United Nations courtroom ordered French Republic to "take all measures at its disposal" to ensure the holding hold upward given the same protections equally all other diplomatic locations until the illustration had been resolved.
AFP