The Court of Cassation rules on the conviction of the Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea

The Court of Cassation rules Wednesday July 28 on the appeal of the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea Teodorin Obiang, found guilty of having constituted a fraudulent heritage in France.

If this conviction is confirmed, this Central African country will be the first to benefit from the mechanism of restitution to populations of “

”.

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The son of the President of Equatorial Guinea, convicted for the first time in 2017, was sentenced on appeal in Paris on February 10, 2020 to three years in prison, a 30 million euro fine and the confiscation of all his property. entered during the investigation.

His lawyer, Me Emmanuel Marsigny, announced the next day to file an appeal in cassation.

150 million euros of laundered sums

Teodorin Obiang, 52, responsible in particular for the Defense and Security of his country, is known for his taste for luxury and his lavish vacations.

Justice estimated at 150 million euros the sums laundered in France.

Teodorin Obiang has built up a fleet of vehicles valued at 5.7 million euros, including three Bugattis, a Rolls-Royce and two Maseratis.

Among the property seized during the judicial investigation is a luxury building located avenue Foch, and estimated at 107 million euros, in one of the most exclusive districts of Paris.

Read also: France will adopt a mechanism for restitution of "ill-gotten gains" by foreign leaders

If the Court of Cassation upholds Teodorin Obiang's conviction, Equatorial Guinea, an oil-producing state where the majority of the inhabitants remain poor, could become the first country to benefit from the brand new mechanism for restoring assets seized in so-called “

” cases.

”from foreign leaders. This system, adopted by Parliament on July 20, makes it possible to return to the populations the “

Instead of being absorbed into the French state budget.