Equatorial Guinea President may be investigated

Madrid - A Spanish state prosecutor has called for Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema to be investigated over suspected illegal money transfers used to buy property in Spain, a human rights group said on Monday.

Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos petitioned the prosecutor to probe Obiang over the transfer of $26.5m from the United States to an account in the Canary Islands.

The prosecutor has now recommended a judge in the Canary Islands take up the case, said Manuel Olle, president of Pro Derechos Humanos.

A spokesperson for the state prosecution agency said she had no information on the case. Equatorial Guinea's government dismissed the allegations.

Separate corruption claims

"President Obiang Nuguema does not have real estate in Spain and much less any type of funds," said Miguel Oyono Ndong Mifumo, of the president's office, in a news release which accused non-governmental organisations of seeking publicity through corruption accusations.

Obiang is already being investigated by a French judge over separate corruption claims.

The French judge is also investigating Denis Sassou-Nguesso of Congo and Omar Bongo of Gabon, who is in a Barcelona clinic undergoing treatment. All three deny wrong-doing.

Equatorial Guinea has a per capital gross domestic product of around $20 000 in purchasing power terms, thanks to oil production, even though most of its population lives in poverty.

Source: Reuters