RELATIONS between France and Angola are now strained since 42 people are on trial in Paris since Monday after being accused of involvement in illegal arms sales to Angola during the 1990s.
Meanwhile Angola has sent lawyers to try to call a halt to the trial, which is expected to last until March, citing reasons of Angolan national security.
French businessman Pierre Falcone and an Israeli-Russian businessmen, Arkady Gaydamak, are two keys suspects, but both have denied organising the sale to Angola of weapons of war valued at $790m which is in breach of French law.
Arkady Gaydamak, an Israeli-Russian tycoon, is mayoral candidate in Jerusalem who owns one of Israel’s largest football clubs. He is being tried in abstentia, after formally registering his candidacy for the 11th November in Jerusalem.This is the same day as the trial opened on Monday.
Also accused of taking bribes and “complicity in illegal trade” in this “Angola-gate” is the son of the late French President Francois Mitterrand, Jean-Christophe, who advised his father on African affairs.He stands accused of accepting kickbacks, money or gifts, to facilitate the deals along with the former French Interior Minister, Charles Pasqua, but both men deny any wrongdoing.
Tanks, helicopters and artillery pieces are amongst the purchases sold on to Angola through a French-based firm and its subsidiary in Eastern Europe, although the defence team claims that the weapons never crossed French territory, and rejects the prosecutions arguments that any such deal requires official authorisation.
If convicted the men face 10 years in prison.
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ARTICLE ATTACHMENTS
READER OPINIONS
Ghifari Al Mukhtar Trinidad & Tobago • ghifarix@gmail.com Subject: criminals trying criminals - of no lesser evil. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:52:56 • Jews again? Merchants of death: these racist criminals are forcing the Angolan people to choose between racist France and the Jewish Government Mafia which spreads misery death and instability throughout Africa for centuries. Both France and Israel will like to bring Africa to its knees. One prefers a blood bath the other ops for perpetual death and enslavement through poverty by defencelessness.
Omugabe • Dziva@sanandresano.com Subject: Look Inward & Look East for Self-development, Zim Patriots! Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:33:13 • The Angolan leaders are acting unwisely.
Angolans should allow the gun runners to go to prison.
Gun runners are not friends of Africans or of anyone. They are the worse kind of vultures who have no real friends.
Angolans should consider any deal with those racist vultures to be acts of the past; and help send those murderers to prison.
As long as there are wars, there are ALWAYS going to be gun runners dealing in Death. And Angola can find sellers if needs be to defend Angola
Decay, Mexico City • na. Subject: WHO IS WHO IN THE ZOO? Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:21:51 • Approximately 6th August 2008 the BBC reported that Rwanda accused France of Genocide. Now the news is focusing on the French and Angola. Who should we be watching? the Chinese or the French in the new scramble for Africa?
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