Equatorial Guinea accused Swiss and French media of conspirancy

The Government of Equatorial Guinea accused "French lobby groups, with the complicity of Swiss media and institutions," of conspiring in "a false and wholly negative media campaign" against the country's Vice-President, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. 
In a statement released on Monday night, the government condemned actions by France and Switzerland that it said were designed to influence the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague as it deliberates over the case brought by Equatorial Guinea against France. 
 

Teodorin, son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, is being investigated on allegations of “money laundering”. The Swiss investigation into Obiang’s assets was opened by the Geneva prosecutor in mid-October at the request of French authorities. 

Equatorial Guinea described information released by authorities in Switzerland, which recently seized fast cars supposedly belonging to Teodorin in a Geneva garage, as "absurd." In the statement it also denied that the seized cars belonged to the vice president.

Equatorial Guinea filed an action against France before the ICJ, "to defend its sovereign right to non-intrusion and nonintervention in national affairs," over French magistrates' attempts to bring the Equatoguinean vice-president to trial.

The Government of Equatorial Guinea says it "has no doubt that this ferocious media campaign against the Vice-President of Equatorial Guinea, launched from various French media organizations just this week, is nothing but an attempt to influence the judges in The Hague, influence international public opinion, and as such, manipulate international justice."

In addition to these new charges in Switzerland, Teodorin Obiang must also face the French prosecutor accusing him of having improperly built considerable wealth in France. A so-called case of “ill-gotten gains” for which he will be tried from 2 January in Paris.