Switzerland opened investigation over Equatorial Guinea Vice President Obiang

Swiss prosecutors have begun a preliminary investigation into Teodorin Nguema Obiang, the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, who is set to go on trial in France for alleged misspending of public funds, as the Switzerland's 24 Heures newspaper reported Tuesday. The Swiss Federal Office of Justice confirmed it had sent a judicial request to French authorities seeking support for its probe of Obiang.

He is accused of acquiring real estate, luxury cars, art and other goods in France with public funds from the native country. Geneva prosecutor's office spokesman declined further comment about the investigation.
 
Part of the richness of the African vice president, whose father Teodoro is in charge since 1979 of the most ruthless and corrupt dictatorship of the African continent, has passed through bank accounts in Switzerland, hundreds of millions of dollars, in part bribes and defrauded money to the State and local enterprises, have passed by Genevan banks since 2004, when Obiang Nguema has bought an entire building in Paris from its Swiss owners.

The investigation was also due to reports made by Twitter account GVA Dictator Alert, created by swiss cousins Julien and Francois Pilet, aviation enthusiasts, journalism and law. The two have created a Twitter bot that automatically posts a message in the microblogging platform as soon as the aircraft lands or takes off a dictator from Geneva.

"When a dictator lands in Geneva could be a good thing: it could for example mean that the journey is part of a diplomatic effort to participate in the peace talks," said Francois Pilet to Newsweek "but Switzerland is also a safe haven for dictators who come from the third World and want to put aside the money they stole from their own people. "