Equatorial Guinea slams France and Switzerland over Nguema corruption probe

The Equatorial Guinean government has responded to the decision by Switzerland to open a probe against Teodorin Obiang Nguema, son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.

Teodorin is also a vice president of the country is being investigated on allegations of “money laundering”. Switzerland recently seized fast cars supposedly belonging to Teodorin in a Geneva garage. The Swiss are the second European country after France to launch a corruption probe against him.

In a statement released on Monday night, the Equatorial Guinea government said the current move was nothing short of a “conspiracy”. They also denied that the seized cars belonged to the vice president.

Malabo further averred that the French and Swiss institutions were conducting a deliberately fierce media campaign to denigrate the international image of the Vice President.

The vehicles impounded “belong to an Equatorial Guinean company. We demand to immediately make these vehicles (available) to the company which is the true owner of these,” the statement said.

In addition to these new charges in Switzerland, Teodorin Obiang must also face the French prosecutor accusing him of having improperly built considerable wealth in France. A so-called case of “ill-gotten gains” for which he will be tried from 2 January in Paris.

Equatorial Guinea in October this year called on the UN’s highest court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), to urgently order France to stop a criminal case against Teodorin, they argued that he is immune from prosecution.

They filed the case with the world court earlier this year arguing that France breached international law by ignoring Obiang’s immunity and the diplomatic immunity of the Avenue Foch property.