Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

French Draft Law Is a Warning to Corrupt Leaders

French Draft Law Is a Warning to Corrupt Leaders

France may soon join just a handful of countries, including the United States and Switzerland, with far-reaching legislation aimed to repatriate confiscated stolen assets to their countries of origin.
A luxury townhouse on Avenue Foch — one of Paris’ chicest addresses — is caught up in a yearslong legal battle between France and Equatorial Guinea.

The African nation argues the mansion is part of its diplomatic mission, while French prosecutors claim it is owned by Teodorín Obiang, the wealthy son of Equatorial Guinea’s longtime leader.

So far, France is winning. A Paris court fined the younger Obiang millions of dollars and handed him a suspended prison sentence. The reason: The court said he plundered his nation to finance his luxury lifestyle — a sentence upheld last November by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. French authorities have also seized the 100-room Paris mansion, along with other property including a fleet of luxury cars.

Equatorial Guinea is appealing the case, and France’s highest court is expected to examine it shortly. If France wins again, the millions of dollars in assets would normally end up in its public coffers.

But a new measure making its way through French parliament may change that trajectory. If it becomes law, the millions would instead head back to Equatorial Guinea — targeting its majority poor population.

“This is the money that was stolen from people that work hard in their country, people that really need this money. And we need to make sure that it will go back in those countries and use it properly,” said Deputy Herve Berville of the ruling La Republique en Marche (LREM) party, who is helping to sponsor the measure.

The legislation passed last week in France’s National Assembly, but still faces a Senate vote.

“It’s really important to tell our citizens and the citizens of the world in those countries — in Africa, Asia and Latin America — that France will not allow dictators or sort-of dictators to take money that’s not their money,” he said.

Anti-corruption groups praise the legislation, but they argue some of the language needs strengthening.

“For us, the legislation is not completely adequate to what we were expecting,” said Sandra Cossart, director of French NGO Sherpa. “And especially it’s lacking this principle that for us is mandatory — that is transparency, accountability … and also, very important, the very close participation of civil society in the countries involved.”

If it becomes law, the legislation could affect other high-profile cases underway here. Among them: Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. A Paris court sentenced him to prison last year for money laundering and misappropriating public funds to buy luxurious French property. He, too, is appealing his conviction.

Also involved in a so-called ill-gotten-gains investigation in France: the family of conflict-torn Yemen’s late president Ali Abdallah Saleh.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×