Equatorial Guinea sues France at UN court over Paris mansion

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Equatorial Guinea has filed a case against France at the International Court of Justice accusing Paris of “misappropriation of public funds.” It’s the latest step in a long-running tug-of-war centered on a mansion on an expensive Paris avenue. The latest case is linked to the conviction, upheld at appeal last year, of the son of Equatorial Guinea’s long-serving president for money laundering and embezzling public funds. The appeal court handed him a three-year suspended sentence, fined him 30 million euros and ordered property in France seized — including the Avenue Foch mansion, which France now plans to sell. The Hague-based International Court of Justice said Friday that Equatorial Guinea is seeking a block on the sale of the building.