Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The playboy son of one of Africa's most notorious dictators commissioned plans for a luxury superyacht costing $380m (£234m) – nearly three times his country's combined health and education budgets, according to a corruption watchdog.
Teodorin Obiang, eldest son of Teodoro Obiang, the president of Equatorial Guinea, wanted to build the world's second most expensive yacht after the Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich's $1.2bn Eclipse, the campaign group Global Witness said. It condemned the plan as "outrageous extravagance" in a country where, despite vast oil wealth, 20% of children die before their fifth birthday and few people live beyond 50.
The government of the tiny west African country confirmed that Obiang junior had ordered the yacht design, but said he had decided against going ahead with it.
President Obiang has ruled for more than 30 years and been accused of grave human rights violations. Forbes magazine estimated his wealth at around $600m.
Teodorin Obiang, 41, is his minister of agriculture and apparently being groomed as his father's successor. Global Witness said his "extravagant lifestyle" includes a $35m mansion in Malibu , a $33m jet and a fleet of luxury cars – yet his ministerial salary is $6,799 a month.
...
A US justice department investigation into US banks accepting some $75m from Teodorin said in a 2007 report that "it is suspected that a large portion of Teodoro Nguema Obiang's assets have originated from extortion, theft of public funds, or other corrupt conduct".
The US state department's most recent human rights assessment for Equatorial Guinea described unlawful killings, torture of prisoners, official impunity, arbitrary arrest and restrictions on free speech.
How much money has the US given to Africa? They have the oil and natural resources to make the money to have a decent lifestyle, but they have thugs for leaders.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
