The Open Society Justice Initiative has welcomed a civil forfeiture action filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against over $70m of assets owned by Teodorin Obiang, son of the ruler of Equatorial Guinea, that were allegedly funded with the profits of corruption. The U.S. action targets Teodorin’s $30m Malibu mansion, a private jet and over $3m in Michael Jackson memorabilia. It complements our efforts to support a legal action against the Obiang family in Spain, and a lawsuit filed against Equatorial Guinea before the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights over corruption issues. Ken Hurwitz, a Justice Initiative senior legal officer, also urged the U.S. Department of Justice to widen its anti-kleptocracy effort to include the many intermediaries, including bankers, lawyers, accountants and business people, who facilitate and profit from corruptly- funded dealings.
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