Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue
Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue (born c.1971, nicknamed Teodorín) is the son of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the president of Equatorial Guinea, by his first wife, Constancia Okomo. He currently serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry in his father's government.
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[edit] Education
According to The Times, Obiang is a graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.[1] However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Obiang attended the University but dropped out after 5 months. [2]
[edit] Spending
As the agriculture and forestry minister of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang was paid €3,200 (£2,700) a month.[3]
The New York Times reported in 2004 that he was "a rap music entrepreneur and bon vivant, fond of Lamborghinis and long trips to Hollywood and Rio de Janeiro".[4]
He drew criticism from the international media for spending close to R10,000,000 over a weekend in South Africa on champagne, property renovations, a black 2004 Bentley Arnage, a cream 2005 Bentley Continental R from MG Rover Cape Town and a 2005 Lamborghini Murcielago,[5] although the properties may soon be forcibly auctioned due to his failure to pay a South African businessman.[6] American law enforcement officials believe that most or perhaps all of his wealth comes from corruption connected to oil and gas reserves in Equatorial Guinea.[7]
Obiang's foreign interests include two houses in South Africa, worth a combined R50,000,000, a $31,000,000 compound in Malibu, California, a 5,000 square feet (460 m2) home on Avenue Foch[3] in the affluent 16th arrondissement of Paris, and the hip hop music record label TNO Entertainment. In 2008 he owned one of the 30 models of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 sports car (estimated at 1 100 000 euros) and a Maserati MC 12 at 700 000 euros.[8] He went on to purchase another Bugatti Veyron, and tried to purchase a third. In late 2011, both Veyrons, as well as 9 other cars he owned were seized by French police investigating corruption.[3]
In October 2011, seven years after the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations exposed the Obiang family’s secret accounts at Riggs Bank in Washington and five years after non-profit Global Witness discovered his Malibu mansion purchase — the US Justice Department went to court to seize $70 million (£44m) of Nguema’s US assets, which include a Gulfstream jet, yachts, cars and Michael Jackson memorabilia.[9]
[edit] Possible succession
It was reported in 2005 that he was to be made vice president of Equatorial Guinea, which, according to the constitution would allow him to accede to the presidency upon his father's retirement.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ "Playboy waits for his African throne". The Times. 2006-09-03.
- ^ "$100m spree by playboy 'heir' to poverty-stricken dictatorship[1]". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2011-10-27.
- ^ a b c Angelique Chrisafis (2012-02-06). "France impounds African autocrats' 'ill-gotten gains'". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/06/france-africa-autocrats-corruption-inquiry. Retrieved 2012-02-06.
- ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/20/world/where-coup-plots-are-routine-one-that-is-not.html
- ^ Johnson, RW; Town, Cape (2006-09-03). "Playboy waits for his African throne". London: The Sunday Times. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2340345,00.html.
- ^ "Equatorial Guinea playboy's Cape homes seized". IOL. 2006-02-16. http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20060216040234789C722016.
- ^ Ian Urbina, "Taint of Corruption Is No Barrier to U.S. Visa for Millionaire", New York Times, 17 November 2009
- ^ David Servenay, Transparency porte plainte pour saisir la Ferrari d'Omar Bongo, Rue 89, 15 July 2008 (French)
- ^ James V. Grimaldi (26 October 2011). "Efforts against Equatorial Guinea official shows challenge for U.S. in foreign corruption cases". http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/efforts-against-equatorial-guinea-official-shows-challenge-of-us-in-foreign-corruption-cases/2011/10/25/gIQAndatWM_story.html.
- ^ "Equatorial Guinea asks Angolan military aid to plan succession". afrol News. 2005-11-11. http://www.afrol.com/articles/17227.
[edit] External links
- Homepage for the Ministry of Agriculture for the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
- Official Homepage for the Ministry of Agriculture for the Republic of Equatorial Guinea (Spanish)
- The tiny African state, the president's playboy son and the $35m Malibu mansion
- Malibu Bad Neighbor: A dictator in training buys his way in, as politically active superstars stay mum
- Secret documents reveal multi-million dollar shopping spree by African dictator’s son; U.S. authorities fail to act on evidence of corruption
- Toadorin's World - article in Foreign Policy Magazine BY KEN SILVERSTEIN
