VP of Eq Guinea sentenced for corruption

A French court found Equatorial Guinea’s vice-president, Teodorin Obiang, guilty of embezzlement, money laundering, corruption and abuse of trust on Friday.

Vice-President Obiang was accused of using the country’s oil wealth to fund his luxurious lifestyle. His assets in France will be seized and he was given a suspended fine of EUR 30 million and a suspended three-year jail sentence.

“Today’s historic verdict brings a measure of justice for the people of Equatorial Guinea, who have been robbed of hundreds of millions by Teodorin Obiang over many years. The next step is to ensure that these ill-gotten gains are restored to the victims of Obiang’s corrupt behaviour,” Mark Hays, the team leader of Global Witness’ anti-money laundering campaign, said in a statement.

Vice-President Obiang, who was not present at the trial, denies the charges. “I’ve rarely seen such justification for a decision that defies French and international laws,” his lawyer told the media. “It goes as far as denying our client’s role as vice-president for international affairs. It is a political decision. Of course, we will look into the details of it and consider all possible appeals.”