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Britain on Thursday sanctioned the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president for misappropriating thousands and thousands of {dollars} which London stated was spent on luxurious mansions, non-public jets and a $275,000 glove worn by Michael Jackson.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab stated Teodoro Obiang Mangue, who can also be vice chairman of Equatorial Guinea, had participated in “corrupt contracting arrangements and soliciting bribes, to fund a lavish lifestyle inconsistent with his official salary as a government minister.”
The Equatorial Guinea authorities didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from Reuters.
Britain stated Obiang had purchased a $100 million mansion in Paris, a $38 million non-public jet, a luxurious yacht, and dozens of luxurious automobiles together with Ferraris, Bentleys and Aston Martins.
The international ministry stated he additionally purchased “a collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia including a $275,000 crystal-covered glove that Jackson wore on his “Bad” tour.
Sanctions announced by London embody asset freezes and a journey ban. Obiang is, nonetheless, not new to a worldwide crackdown on his humongous wealth.
In 2016, a set of luxurious vehicles belonging to the 53-year-old politician were confiscated by Swiss authorities following a corruption probe. The supercars had been auctioned off in 2019 – racking up thousands and thousands of {dollars} in gross sales.
In 2017, Obiang was convicted for corruption by a French courtroom and handed a three-year suspended jail time period after prosecutors accused him of embezzlement of public funds and cash laundering.
Obiang’s lavish spending was once more spotlighted in 2018 after Brazilian police seized thousands and thousands of {dollars} in money, together with a set of luxurious watches from a delegation touring with the rich Central African ruler following a search on their non-public plane in Sao Paulo.
Obiang’s father President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has dominated Equatorial Guinea since taking energy in a coup in 1979, eleven years after independence from Spain.
The nation grew wealthy prior to now few a long time because of the exploitation of its oil reserves, however greater than 76% of the inhabitants stay in poverty, in response to the World Bank.