While Mark Thatchers friend, 'old Etonian' Simon Mann regrets underestimating the powerful friends of Equatorial Guinea's leader - Teodoro Obiang Nguema, (Pictured here with Condi) its business as usual in the Department of Forestry.
As Mann is there to testify, Western greed-mongers of questionable character doing deals with corrupt African muntuist leaders is probably the single largest cause of the misery that blights the dark continent. Consider the fortunes of Equatorial Guinea - a place with a lot of oil and a lot of poverty. Why should so many people in Equatorial Guinea live in poverty when oil sales are booming? The majority live on less than one dollar a day. How can that be - I hear you wonder.
According to the French fraud body OCRGDF, investigating payments of hundreds of millions of pounds of payments by Elf, the former French state-owned oil group, the explanation is simple and it is yet another powerful illustration of why muntuism blights Africa.
Meet Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, 37, the quasi-prince of Equatorial Guinea, son of Equitorial Guineas's president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, 66.
Mr Nguema Jnr has many French assets, allegedly he owns a Bugatti Veyron bought for 1.1 million euros, as well as a Maserati MC 12 which cost him 709,000 euros. He has a $34 million private jet and a luxury yacht with an on-board shark aquarium.
The prestigious gated community of Serra Retreat in Malibu is where Teodoro purchased a 16-acre estate at 3620 Sweetwater Mesa Road in April 2006 for $35 million in cash, last year’s California state record.
Meanwhile Teodoro has also had some fun in South Africa, spending close to ten million Rand over a weekend in South Africa on champagne, a black 2004 Bentley Arnage, a cream 2005 Bentley Continental R from MG Rover Cape Town and a six liter Lamborghini.
Teodoro also bought two fabulous Cape properties. While the R23,5 million house on Clifton Fourth Beach and R26 million mansion in Constantia are registered in the name of Teodorin Nguema Obiang, lawyers for South African businessman George Ehlers, who claims to have not been properly paid, have produced evidence to show that the properties were bought with Equatorial Guinea government funds. Whoopsie Teodoro.
Clearly Teodoro has made the most of his income as forestry minister of Equatorial Guinea, Africa's smallest country, managing to get through a few hundred million dollars in just a few years at a time when the vast majority of his 500,000 fellow countrymen live on a dollar a day. We at muntuism.com can only stand back and admire this stellar achievement, acknowledging a dream muntuist playing at the top of his game.
We propose recommending this outstanding father and son dream team for 'Muntuists of the Month'.
Equatorial Guinea's president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema and his trendy son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue.
You couldn't make this stuff up. I'll bet Simon Mann will give the two Teodoro's his vote.
