The Republic of
Equatorial Guinea confirmed that in the framework of cooperation with the
French judicial authorities, on Tuesday, March 18, a videoconference took place
so that H.E. the Second Vice President for Defense and State Security, Nguema
Obiang Mangue, may in respect to his functions, assert his rights in the
context of an open trial in France, at the initiative of obscure associations
against several African Heads of State.
The decision of
the French judges to notify His Excellency of his indictment for money
laundering violates international public law, which grants full and absolute
judicial immunity to all Heads of State and current senior representatives of
the acting State.
This judicial
cooperation will finally allow the sending of this case file to the competent
jurisdictions in order to end, in this way, this situation of flagrant
violation of international law, orchestrated within the framework of the
campaign of systematic denigration that has been carried out against Vice
President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, H.E. Nguema Obiang Mangue,
internationally, for years.
In this process,
we must recall that, at the time, the Equatorial Guinean Government informed
the French judges that the Second Vice President of the Republic has diplomatic
immunity due to his position, and if they wanted to make him declare they could
do it through letters rogatory, addressing the judges and courts of Equatorial
Guinea. It was the denial of this option by the French judges, which blocked
the process for nearly two years.
The Government
of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, seeing this unjust, illegal and vicious
behavior, which disregards the Equatorial Guinean Government in general, and
its members in particular, made the decision that the Second Vice President
would not be present to testify, under any circumstances, in France, standing
firm on the principle of recognition of his diplomatic immunity.
The commission,
which was finally held in Equatorial Guinea this past Tuesday and before
Equatorial Guinean judges, terminates the order of arrest, which was
maintained, at France's request, by European Union countries. Interpol,
meanwhile, reported last year the closing of this order for the other countries.
This is a
victory for the Government because the diplomatic immunity of the Second Vice
President of the Republic has prevailed, and the decision of the Government of
the Republic of Equatorial Guinea to maintain this immunity has never wavered,
despite attempts to blackmail the French judges.
This trial,
which has been called of "ill-gotten
gains" and that was initiated against several African countries, is a
political case in the attempt to use it to destabilize Equatorial Guinea, a
country that, although it is adhered to the French zone of influence in Africa,
is not a former French colony.
Since this
process of "ill-gotten
gains" began, supposedly launched against different African
countries, in the last three years the specific cases against Equatorial Guinea
and its leaders were practically the only ones spoken of.
On the other
hand, France has not respected the agreements on mutual protection of property
that it signed with Equatorial Guinea, which is why the Government of
Equatorial Guinea at the time filed a lawsuit in the International Court
against France for failure to uphold these agreements. So far, the French State
has not responded to this lawsuit, thus demonstrating its lack of interest in
working with Equatorial Guinea. All the evidence suggests that this is a politicized
case with which France is trying, at all costs, to destabilize Equatorial
Guinea.
For the
principle of National Unity and for the prevailing Peace in Equatorial Guinea,
we will always remain firm against any conspiracy from any other country.
We have always
trusted the justice system and the presumption of innocence. That is why
Equatorial Guinea will appeal against any court decision that could harm its
interests or those of any member of its Government. Therefore, we expect that
during this process, truth and professional ethics of judges who try this case
by jurisdiction will prevail.
Bata, March 20,
2014
THE GOVERNMENT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA