For years several sources have mentioned the Nguesso entourage in numerous scandals involving embezzlement of Public Money. However, the dictator and his acolytes have always shamelessly denied any involvement in misappropriation of funds.
For over two decades following the Congolese civil war, The Nguesso family, relatives and friends who call themselves a “government” have feasted upon public funds to the detriment of Congolese citizens.
In 2010, transparency International France and SHERPA had successfully filed a complaint against Sassou Nguesso, his relatives and two other African Presidents.
The complaint called “for an investigation into how luxury assets (properties and cars, as well as bank accounts) were acquired in France” by those corrupt African leaders, according Transparency international’s website.
Since the The French Supreme Court’s decision that allowed the appointment of an investigating judge and the opening of a judicial inquiry, journalists took over the matter.
Exposing the corruption and holding Sassou Nguesso and his Acolytes accountable started even before the Supreme Court’s decision. Congolese people who tried to talk about the matter have mysteriously lost their lives or been incarcerated. In 2009, a Franco-Congolese journalist Bruno Ossebi had been killed in a housefire in Brazzaville after writing a couple of articles that exposed Sassou-Nguesso’s illicit estate in Paris, France.
Asked about his involvement in embezzlement of public funds, the so called emperor responded that “If in France we had wanted to initiate a debate on the property that foreign authorities could possess in France, I was going to join this debate.”
“But to randomly pick two or three presidents in Africa, I don’t know according to what logic, makes no sense to me,” he said.
“They pick two or three African leaders and organize a cabal around them; I find this very shameful. We do not know how to characterize this behavior. Is this paternalism? I sometimes talk about racism. Are these still revivals of neocolonialism? he asked himself. “I don’t really know.” He claimed.
In June 2023, France 24’s Marc Perelman interviewed Sassou Nguesso who generally avoids interviews and any direct conversations with journalists.
During the interview, the Congolese dictator denied any involvement in money laundering despite the availability of proofs. He even said that he would run for president again in 2026 despite being nearly 80 years old and having led the country into socioeconomic chaos. The dictator gave his relatives, government and other people from his clan the freedom to launder money from the country and hide it in private bank accounts abroad, while acquiring unjustified luxury assets . Some even keep millions of dollars in cash inside their homes in Bags.
PERELMAN: “The French daily Liberation last January published an investigation into a company, Orion Oil, which would have been, according to the newspaper and the French investigators, at the heart of a system of embezzlement for the benefit of your clan and yourself. in the sights of French justice, its director Lucien Ebata, one of your relatives, who was indicted for money laundering and corruption; There are elements in the file that seem to point the finger at you. What is your reaction to these serious accusations ?”
SASSOU-NGUESSO: “The French media are used to this kind of aggression. All Congo affairs are judged in France, by French justice, by the French media, by you, and there are never letters rogatory in Congo, never a civil party in Congo. it is France, through its justice and its media, which manages the affairs of the Congo. We are observing this very calmly and I will not make any further comments.”
PERELMAN: “But so you don’t want to dismiss these accusations, so you think it’s basically a conspiracy?”
SASSOU-NGUESSO: “It’s not the first time. All this agitation is happening here in France, sometimes by Justice, sometimes by the media and one day we will understand the goals which are pursued by these allegations.”
PERELMAN: “You want to talk about destabilization, is that what you mean?”
SASSOU NGUESSO: I did not say that.
PERELMAN: Obviously because there are always cases of ill-gotten gains; last September a private mansion near here in Paris attributed to your son was seized; Do you have the impression that this investigation will never stop and could end up affecting your son who could end up being put under investigation?
SASSOU NGUESSO: But all rights are allowed here. You know, yesterday I was in my apartment 19 Avenue Rapp, on the second floor of 19 avenue Rapp, it’s no secret. I lived there during my exile for 2 years. I received all the French friends and even journalists on the 2nd floor of this building. a small 2 bedroom apartment. But your colleagues’ cameras came to film the building and proclaim that this is the private mansion of the president of Congo. So anything goes here when it comes to smearing the African authorities. See that it is too much now.
PERELMAN: I mentioned your son; some people think you want to dub him as your successor
SASSOU NGUESSO: It was you who said it. Which ones are they? It’s still you from the press.
PERELMAN: I’m just asking you the question.
SASSOU NGUESSO: I have never made a statement of this kind; no one in Congo think that. So all this is said here, perhaps in Paris. Nowhere else
PERELMAN: In the meantime, the constitution that you have had modified, from what I have read, allows you to run for President again in 2026. Do you agree with that?
SASSOU NGUESSO: But you read it.
PERELMAN: But from what I have read you have the right to run again.
SASSOU NGUESSO: But so you understand it well.
PERELMAN: So, obviously this allows me to ask the 2nd question. Do you plan to run for president again?
SASSOU NGUESSO: This question is not on the agenda right now, see? I have a lot of work in my country even though my mandate is almost half over, right? I think I still have time to work.
PERELMAN: “But you can tell me I’m retiring no matter what. You don’t tell me.”
SASSOU NGUESSO: “How? But I don’t see the point of this statement now.”
PERELMAN: Very good, Thank you very much Mr. President for answering France 24’s questions.
SASSOU NGUESSO: Thank you.