- Over $16m in cash and luxury watches have been seized from a delegation accompanying Equatorial Guinea’s vice president, Teodorin Nguema Obiang, by Brazilian police
- $1.5m in cash was found in one bag, with watches worth an estimated $15m in another
- A diplomatic source from Equatorial Guinea reportedly stated that the money was to pay for Obiang’s medical treatment
Brazilian federal police have seized over $16m (£12m) in cash and luxury watches from a delegation accompanying the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodorin Nguema Obiang.
The items were seized from the VP’s private plane on Friday, September 15, as it arrived at the Viracopos Airport near São Paulo, UK Guardian reports.
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NAIJ.com gathers that federal police found $1.5m in cash in one bag and watches worth an estimated $15m in another.
The delegation was not on an official trip and Teodorin Nguema Obiang, who is also the son of Equatorial Guinea’s longtime president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, was the only member of the group who had diplomatic immunity.
Under Brazilian law, people are prohibited from entering the country with more than 10,000 reais (£1,800), in cash.
The country’s foreign ministry stated that it was “in permanent coordination with the federal police and the customs service over the case and to decide what measures should be taken.”
A diplomatic source from Equatorial Guinea, however, stated that the money was to pay for Obiang’s medical treatment in São Paulo.
As for the watches, they were reportedly for Obiang’s “personal use” and were engraved with his initials.
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Recall that NAIJ.com previously reported that a court in France sentenced Equatorial Guinea's Vice President Teodorin Obiang to a three year suspended jail term after he was found guilty of corruption.
Obiang, known for his lavish tastes, was absent from the trial as he was found guilty of embezzlement.
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Source: Naija.ng