The International Court of Justice in The Hague has ruled that France had the right to seize a Paris mansion owned by the son of Equatorial Guinea’s president, Teodorin Obiang, following his 2017 conviction for money laundering.
Equatorial Guinea had argued that the building was subject to diplomatic immunity.
Despite riches in oil and gas, 76% of Equatorial Guinea’s 1.5 million population live in poverty, according to the UN and World Bank.
President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has ruled the country for 41 years.
His son, who is also the country’s vice-president, recently made headlines for sharing drone footage of his lavish holidaying on Instagram. Investigative journalist Emmanuel Freudenthal tweeted that Mr Obiang had been staying in a hotel on a private island in the Maldives at a cost of $50,000 (£38,000) per night. -BBC