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Sunday, Mar 16, 2025

Guinea Ecuatorial's Government Allegedly Funds Kidnappings of Opponents

A Spanish police report reveals a special fund tied to Teodoro Obiang Nguema's regime for the abduction and assassination of political adversaries.
The government of Teodoro Obiang Nguema, president of Equatorial Guinea, has reportedly maintained a "special fund" since 2005 intended for the kidnapping and assassination of political opponents in Europe, according to a Spanish police report.

The National Court of Spain is investigating the kidnapping and torture of four opposition members residing in Madrid, issuing an international arrest warrant for the alleged perpetrators, which include a son of the dictator, the Minister of the Interior, and the General Director of Presidential Security.

The police report states that evidence suggests the existence of this special fund allocated for the financing of such activities against exiled dissidents.

The investigation, currently under the jurisdiction of the Central Court of Instruction No. 5 in Spain, is addressing cases of attempted murder and abduction that have occurred in the country.

Among those investigated is businessman and opposition figure Germán Pedro Tomo, who survived a botched assassination attempt in 2005, which also endangered the life of his brother, Manuel.

Colombian gunmen, mistaken for the target, attacked him at his home in Alcorcón, near Madrid.

The report details numerous cases of kidnappings and assassination attempts conducted by the Obiang regime, characterizing them as actions more aligned with organized crime than with legitimate state governance.

Since 1997, it is reported that the regime's secret service has abducted 34 dissidents, primarily exiles in Europe.

Furthermore, Transparency International lists Equatorial Guinea among the most corrupt nations worldwide.

An analysis of a report from the Anti-Money Laundering Service (Sepblac) regarding financial transactions in Spain linked to Carmelo Ovono, known as "Didi", a secretary of state and deputy minister for external security alleged to be central to the investigation, reveals complex financial dealings.

Sepblac issued a confidential report indicating that Ovono brought €793,000 in cash into Spain, which he deposited into an account at BBVA, along with receiving transfers totaling €300,000 from a Guinean bank.

Over ten months, he reportedly moved €1,100,000, the origins of which remain unclear.

Due to suspicions of potential money laundering, one of his accounts has faced blockage from the bank's compliance department.

While the police have not definitively linked these financial movements to the kidnappings, they have noted that handling large amounts of cash is consistent with expenditures related to surveilling opposition members, which could be preparatory to kidnapping.

The Guinean government allegedly hired 15 private detective agencies in Madrid to monitor opposition members, who were later abducted in South Sudan, transported to Malabo, and tortured in custody.

One of those kidnapped, Julio Obama, died under circumstances that remain uncertain.

The police have identified a high-ranking Guinean security official as the individual who paid €35,000 to the detectives in Madrid for this espionage.

Investigators assert that Ovono managed significant cash amounts alongside his associates, which they believe have been used to considerably enrich his assets in Spain.

The hotline for potential money laundering situations prompted preemptive blocks on some accounts at BBVA.

The police report highlights the involvement of Guinean lawyer Erick Mercader Penda, believed to be instrumental in facilitating the introduction of funds, and indicates that the Spanish company Dereck Edita Hermanos SL appears to be a tool for concealing and transferring large sums, potentially involving tax havens.

Additionally, the investigation notes the purchase of five luxury vehicles totaling €350,000 and a property in Barcelona, generating rental income through a company established in Delaware, regarded as a tax haven in the United States.

Authorities express skepticism over the authenticity of the reported rental occupant, Frank Smits.

The explanations provided by Ovono Obiang regarding his financial activities in Spain have been described as "implausible" by law enforcement.

Carmelo Ovono, who is 46 years old and once the chief of the Special Forces in Bata, obtained residency in Spain in 2020. He is married to a Spanish citizen and has a daughter.

He has lived between Marbella and Malabo but has not returned to Spain since the case was filed by the families of the kidnapped individuals.

He had presented a bank account with a balance of €431,378 to secure his residency.

The police believe there are "strong indications" of money laundering and corruption involving Ovono and Mercader.

Following the police request, the judge assigned to the case has referred the matter to the Marbella courts for potential preliminary proceedings against Ovono for international corruption and money laundering.

Previously, the judge had stated he found no evidence of money laundering from the Guinean official’s income.

Despite an arrest warrant and his position as Chief of External Security, Carmelo Ovono has accompanied his father on recent trips to Russia and China.
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