Equatorial Guinea Vice President Threatens Legal Action Against Anyone Accusing Him of Corruption
Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
At a glance
Newswire
Named sources
In the courts
- Equatorial Guinea Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang said he would sue anyone who makes what he calls false corruption allegations against him.
- He said accusers would have to present evidence in court and argued that social media should not become a place where reputations are destroyed.
- Nguema Obiang has previously faced corruption and money-laundering cases or sanctions in France, the United States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang has threatened legal action against anyone who accuses him of corruption or other crimes without proof.
“I have decided to take legal action against anyone, from Equatorial Guinea or abroad, who has spread false accusations, slander or insults against me,” he wrote on X. He said anyone who attributes corruption, crimes or other unlawful conduct to him would have to defend those claims in court and provide evidence.
I have decided to take legal action against anyone, from Equatorial Guinea or abroad, who has spread false accusations, slander or insults against me.
Nguema Obiang, widely known as Teodorín, also said he earned income from the private sector before entering public office. Anyone claiming that his wealth came from corruption, he said, must demonstrate it. “Social networks should not become courts where anyone accuses, condemns and destroys reputations,” he added.
Anyone who attributes corruption, crimes or any other unlawful conduct to me will have to defend those accusations before the courts and present the evidence.
His statement comes after legal proceedings and investigations in several countries. A French court sentenced him in 2017 to three years in prison, suspended, a 30 million-euro fine and the confiscation of numerous assets for money laundering. The ruling was upheld in 2020 and became final in 2021.
In 2014, he reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to settle a civil money-laundering case involving alleged embezzlement of public funds. He avoided a conviction and agreed to pay more than $30 million through the sale of assets including a Malibu mansion, a Ferrari and Michael Jackson memorabilia. Switzerland closed a related investigation in 2019 after an agreement involving the auction of 25 seized luxury cars. Britain and the United States have also imposed sanctions on him. Human rights organizations describe Equatorial Guinea as highly corrupt and repressive.
Social networks should not become courts where anyone accuses, condemns and destroys reputations.
About this summary
Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
More Stories
From Our Blog
What Gets Lost (and Found) When News Is Translated
The Critical Role of Diaspora Media in Global News
What Travellers Should Know About Countries with Restricted Press
A Digital Nomad's Guide to Following Local News
How the Same Story Looks Different in Different Countries
