France/Gabon

French court freezes Omar Bongo's bank accounts

Article published on the 2009-02-26 Latest update 2009-02-26 13:47 TU

(Photo: omarbongo.org)

A French court has frozen nine bank accounts belonging to Gabon's President Omar Bongo after he failed to comply with an earlier order to return a payment to obtain the release of a jailed French businessman. Lawyers say that the accounts hold more than four million euros.

"This concerns Crédit Lyonnais, in which the president of Gabon has two current accounts, two savings accounts and a share account, and BNP, in which he has two checking accounts, a savings account and a share account," said lawyer Jean-Philippe Le Bail.

"In the accounts as a whole there is a little over four million euros, not taking into account transactions that are currently underway."

Le Bail represented the son of French businessman René Cardona, who was imprisoned after a business dispute with Bongo; to whom he had sold a fishing and shipping company.

Cardona's son paid 457,347 euros to gain his father's release but later complained to French authorities.

In September a court in Bordeaux ruled the payment illegal and ordered Bongo to repay it with interest and legal costs. The verdict was confirmed at appeal on Monday and Le Bail estimates that the amount owing now adds up to more than one million euros.

The controversial and long-standing Gabonese President has been closely associated with many French leaders and was recently the subject of a legal challenge by anti-corruption campaigners.

French police have found that he and his family own at least 33 luxury properties in France. It was recently revealed that Bongo's government paid 2.64 million euros to consultancy firms for advice by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner before he took office.