The US seeks to seize a Manhattan luxury property that was reportedly purchased with embezzled monies from the Republic of Congo’s government for the daughter of the country’s longstanding President, Denis Sassou Nguesso.
This was discovered in a court document made public in New York on Monday.
Federal prosecutors have linked the apartment on the 32nd floor of the Trump International Hotel and Tower near Central Park’s southwest corner to “an international conspiracy to launder funds” stolen from the Congo government, as reported by Bloomberg.
US prosecutors have detailed in court papers a complex network including banks, individuals, and shell businesses that allegedly laundered hundreds of millions of dollars from the African country. According to the authorities, the apartment has most likely been empty since its acquisition a decade ago.
According to the forfeiture case filed by the US, the two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom corner apartment has breathtaking views of the city skyline and the Hudson River.
It was purchased for Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso’s daughter, Claudia Lemboumba Sassou Nguesso. Claudia has occasionally served as her father’s communications director and a member of Congo’s parliament.
Corruption and lack of transparency have impeded the country’s capacity to use its valuable natural resources for sustainable development.
Transparency International classified Congo as 158th out of 180 nations for public corruption in 2023.