Swiss Authorities Seizes 11 Cars Belonging To The Son Of Equatorial Guinea President

Teodorin Obiang

Authorities in Geneva  have seized 11 luxury cars belonging to Teodorin Obiang Nguema, the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president over corruption investigation reports.

Spokesman of the Geneva prosecutor’s office Henri Della Casa said Thursday that the cars were siezed Monday in the freight zone at Geneva’s airport.

In a similar action taken against Obiang by French Police in 2013, Geneva police confisicated Obiang’s Bugatti Veyron, four Ferraris including an Enzo and 599GTB, a Porsche918 Spyder, a Lamborghini Veneno, a Maybach, the Koenigesegg, an Aston Martin and a McLaren P1. Though Swiss authorities could not confirm the L'Hebdo magazine's report of the siezure.

Teodorin Obiang who is 47 and his country's vice president through his lawyer has denied ownership of the cars.

Obiang is facing a preliminary investigation in Switzerland in connection with a case in neighboring France where he faces trial for alleged misspending of public funds.

Obiang's cars seized in France in 2013

This action by the Swiss authorities is in response to request by French justice officials who are seeking to bring Obiang to trial for suspected money laundering.

French officials have seized from Obiang many choice cars on suspicion that the cars were acquired with money stolen from his country and the cars were auctioned for a fraction of their worth. Arts, fine wine and antique furniture were also seized from his €80 million, 101-room Paris mansion worth millions of dollars.

However, Obiang, who's 73-year-old father Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo became Equatorial Guinea' president in a 1979 coup and him as his country's vice president and in charge of defense and security affairs, denies any wrongdoing. He has previously maintained that his wealth, which has enabled him to buy luxury real estate in Paris, a private jet and exotic sports cars, was acquired legitimately.

The incident is already sparking a diplomatic row as Equatorial Guinea, an oil producing former Spanish colony in West Africa, has urged the United Nations’ highest court to order France to halt the proceedings against its vice president as it is a violation of his diplomatic immunity. In France court ruled that the charges relate to his private life in France and has nothing to do with official functions. Obiang is likely to be formally charged in France in January 2017.

By Admin