Court documents revealed in New York on Monday indicate that the United States is taking steps to seize a lavish Manhattan apartment, reportedly purchased with funds embezzled from the Congolese government for the daughter of ex-President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
Federal prosecutors assert that the apartment, located on the 32nd floor of the Trump International Hotel and Tower near Central Park, was acquired in 2014 for $7.1 million and is tied to an “international conspiracy to launder funds” stolen from the Congolese government, as initially reported by Bloomberg.
In legal filings, US prosecutors detail a complex network of banks, individuals, and shell companies allegedly used to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from the African nation. The apartment has purportedly remained vacant since its purchase a decade ago.
The luxurious two-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath apartment offers stunning views of the city skyline and the Hudson River. It is claimed to have been purchased for Claudia Lemboumba Sassou Nguesso, daughter of Denis Sassou Nguesso, who has served as her father’s head of communications and a member of Congo’s parliament, according to the US complaint seeking forfeiture.
Congo’s low ranking of 158th out of 180 countries for public corruption in 2023 underscores the pervasive problem of corruption within the nation.
Denis Sassou Nguesso, the former President, is a Congolese politician and former military officer who assumed the presidency of the Republic of the Congo in 1997, having previously served a term as president from 1979 to 1992.
The legal action taken by US authorities marks a significant step in combating financial crimes and holding those involved in the illicit diversion of public funds for personal enrichment accountable.
