Mitterrand–Pasqua affair
The Mitterrand–Pasqua affair, also known informally as Angolagate, was an international
The scandal blew up when
Bicesse Accords
The accords attempted to demobilise the 152,000 active fighters and integrate the remaining government troops and UNITA rebels into a 50,000-strong Angolan Armed Forces (FAA). The FAA would consist of a national army with 40,000 troops, navy with 6,000, and air force with 4,000.[1] While UNITA largely did not disarm, the FAA complied with the accord and demobilised, leaving the government disadvantaged.[2] At the same time, the Cuban troops that had helped MPLA forces to push back the South African army and UNITA rebels during the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale, completed their withdrawal from Angola. This meant that the MPLA would have an even greater disadvantage if fighting resumed (as they were aligned with the FAA).
Angola held a
Arms sales
With the
Jean-Christophe's lawyer says that Jean-Christophe Mitterrand first met Falcone after he stopped working as an expert on Africa for
After the Angolan elections (see above), Curial met Falcone, who went to Angola for the first time and organised for the Angolan government a successful pre-paid operation in oil dealing. Later the Angolan government gave him an official mission to supervise supplying his army with arms from the East Central European country
Dos Santos secretly had Elísio de Figueiredo, the former ambassador of Angola to France, act as Angola's envoy to friendly contacts in France. Falcone worked with the Angolan government through Figueiredo.[4]
Scandal uncovered
Jean-Charles Marchiani, Pasqua's subordinate, allegedly went to
In 1996, the French Financial Brigades confiscated 50,000 documents from the offices of Falcone and Arcadi Gaydamak, a Russian–Israeli businessman and associate of Falcone.[4]
Arrest and trial
French police arrested Falcone on December 1, 2000, on charges of
In April 2007, the
Sulitzer admitted taking €300,000 in return for information in December 2008 and testified against Falcone. He accused prosecutors of "trying to kill a mosquito with a nuclear bomb".[10]
Sentencing
The sentences for the "Angolagate affair" were handed down on October 27, 2009. Charles Pasqua and Jean-Charles Marchiani were found guilty of taking money from Gaydamak and Falcone that they knew was proceeds of crime.[11][12] Pasqua was sentenced to three years in prison, two of which were suspended and a €100,000 fine.[12] Marchiani was sentenced to three months in prison.[11] Gaydamak and Falcone were found guilty of illegal arms deals, tax fraud, money laundering, embezzlement and others, sentenced to six years in prison and multi-million-euro fines each.[12] Gaydamak was sentenced in absentia, and it was unclear whether he would ever serve the prison term.[13]
Falcone, who tried and failed to claim diplomatic immunity in the case, was taken into custody by police after the judge had finished reading out the sentences.[11][12] Jean-Christophe Mitterrand was found guilty of receiving $2 million from Falcone and Gaydamak to promote their interests and was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence and a €375,000 fine.[12] Paul-Loup Sulitzer was found guilty of embezzlement and sentenced to 15 months in prison and a €100,000 fine.[11] Jacques Attali and Georges Fenech were acquitted.[14]
In total, 36 individuals were convicted of various levels of involvement in the scandal,[15] 21 of whom appealed the decision.[16]
Appeal decision
The
See also
- Françafrique
- French political scandals
- Iskandar Safa
- ZTS-OSOS
References
- ^ Wright, George (1997). The Destruction of a Nation: United States' Policy Towards Angola Since 1945. p. 159.
- ^ "All the President's Men". Global Witness. March 2002. p. 11.
- ^ Rothchild, Donald S (1997). Managing Ethnic Conflict in Africa: Pressures and Incentives for Cooperation. p. 134.
- ^ a b c d e f g (fr) or (es) "All the President's Men". Global Witness. March 2002. pp. 11–13.
- ^ "Angolagate : l'autre vie de Pierre Falcone". Le Point. 2008-10-02. Archived from the original on 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ^ "The Oil Diagnostic in Angola: An Update". Human Rights Watch. March 2001.
- ^ Hodges, Tony (2001). Angola. p. 165.
- ^ "Angola-French relations on the mend: Sarkozy". The Tocqueville Connection. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022.
- ^ "Angolagate: les principaux acteurs de l'affaire". Le Figaro. 2007-03-28.
- ^ "French writer says he's a "mosquito" in arms trial". Reuters via Tiscali. 2009-01-01.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c d Sage, Adam (Oct 28, 2009). "French establishment players convicted over arms to Angola scandal". The Times.
- ^ a b c d e Shirbon, Estelle (Oct 27, 2009). "French power brokers convicted over arms to Angola". Reuters.
- ^ Von Derschau, Verena (2009-10-27). "Ex-French minister gets jail in Angola arms trial". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-10-27.[dead link]
- ^ Juilliard, Pascale (Oct 28, 2009). "France jails 'Angolagate' power players". AFP.
- ^ "France under pressure over Angolagate". AFP. October 28, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
- ^ Laurence De Charette (2011-01-19). "Le procès en appel de l'Angolagate s'est ouvert". Le Figaro.
- ^ "3 acquitted in France-Angola arms traffic trial". Fox News. Associated Press. 2011-04-29.
- ^ Yves Thréard (2011-04-30). "L'honneur retrouvé de Pierre Falcone". Le Figaro.