- Title: Trial of Equatorial Guinea leader's son resumes in Paris
- Date: 19th June 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 19, 2017) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF COURTHOUSE ARMED POLICEMAN STANDING GUARD VARIOUS OF MAN WITH BRIEFCASE INSIDE COURTHOUSE VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF COURTROOM WHERE HEARING IS TAKING PLACE LAWYER REPRESENTING THE COALITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE (CORED), THE CASE'S SECOND CIVIL PARTY, JEAN PIERRE SPITZER, IN FRONT OF COURTROOM LIGHTS IN COURTHOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAWYER REPRESENTING THE COALITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE (CORED), THE CASE'S SECOND CIVIL PARTY, JEAN PIERRE SPITZER, SAYING: "The CORED is a coalition, the letter C in CORED is the coalition, of 19 parties, there are 14 parties and 5 organisations, which are associations that represent all the faces of the opposition from Equatorial Guinea. And all in exile because there is no interior opposition." POLICE STANDING GUARD IN FRONT OF COURTROOM (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAWYER REPRESENTING THE COALITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE (CORED), THE CASE'S SECOND CIVIL PARTY, JEAN PIERRE SPITZER, SAYING: "I come as a civil party in the fight which (anti-corruption groups) Sherpa and Transparency International have been leading for ten years. We became a civil party a few months ago because in being the only ones representing the people of Equatorial Guinea we're the only ones who have actually been harmed." PRESIDENT OF THE COALITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE (CORED), SALOMON OBESO (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRESIDENT OF THE COALITION FOR THE RESTORATION OF A DEMOCRATIC STATE (CORED), SALOMON OBESO, SAYING: "He (Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang) had more than 310 people assassinated in order to stay in power. And his son squandered all of Equatorial Guinea's money all over the world, as you know, Avenue Foch, Malibu, Brazil, right and left. The civil party from Equatorial Guinea which is represented by 19 political parties, everyone is here today to see justice being served, which is what our country expects from us, expects from France." (WEARING ROBES) LAWYER REPRESENTING TEODORIN OBIANG, EMMANUEL MARSIGNY AND LAWYER REPRESENTING ANTI-CORRUPTION NGO TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL FRANCE, WILLIAM BOURDON, BRIEFLY GREETING EACH OTHER IN FRONT OF COURTROOM ENTRANCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAWYER REPRESENTING ANTI-CORRUPTION NGO TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL FRANCE, WILLIAM BOURDON, SAYING: "First of all, what we expect from this trial is that it takes place, and it will. It will take place because there comes a point where enough is enough. You know, the same ones who violate a fair trial in their country, who mistreat opponents, who persecute them, torture them, instrumentalise the tools of a fair trial to try and organise their impunity, that's what makes you feel sick." BOURDON ENTERING COURTROOM PEOPLE ENTERING COURTROOM VARIOUS IOF INTERIORS OF COURTHOUSE EXTERIOR OF COURTHOUSE
- Embargoed: 3rd July 2017 14:57
- Keywords: Transparency International leader Paris son Teodorin Obiang trial Equatorial Guinea Africa corruption
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0016LY2XJB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT 7153 FRANCE-AFRICA/TRIAL-PREVIEW CONTAINS ARCHIVE FOOTAGE RELATED TO CASE
The son of Equatorial Guinea's president went on trial on Monday (June 19) in his absence in Paris on charges of buying luxury Parisian properties and exotic cars with money plundered from his native country, a small oil-rich state on Africa's west coast.
Teodorin Obiang, eldest son of President Teodoro Obiang and a vice-president himself, denies charges of laundering embezzled public funds, for which he risks a sentence of 10 years in jail and huge fines if convicted.
Obiang's lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny called once again for the trial to be suspended.
The case is the first of several to reach court in a broader judicial investigation into allegations of illicit acquisitions in France by long-time leaders and family relatives in several African countries including Gabon and Congo Republic. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
