Son of Congo president accused of embezzling $50m public funds

The British NGO Global Witness has alleged financial malfeasance against son of the president of the Republic of Congo, Christel Denis Sassou Nguesso.

The group said it had discovered documents pointing to the siphoning of over $50 million in public funds by President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s son.

Their report indicates the money received would have been used to set up a complex and opaque business structure in many countries.

Global Witness cites six European countries, the British Virgin Islands and the American state of Delaware as examples of places the scheme was to be routed through. They added that these countries, have been involved in what appears to be a “money-laundering scheme”.

This is not the first time that Global Witness has accused the Congolese presidential family.

In April this year, the NGO published a report accusing the president’s daughter, Claudia Sassou Nguesso, of buying a luxury apartment in New York’s Trump Hotel & Tower with nearly $20 million from public funds.

For the time being, Christel Sassou Nguesso has not reacted to the allegations and our attempts to contact his lawyers have proved abortive.