Switzerland is prepared to restore to the DR Congo part of the fortune held in Swiss accounts by late DR Congo (former Zaire) dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
Mobutus holdings which have been blocked in Switzerland amount to about 6,5 million US dollar, the Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey said in Kinshasa after meeting with the DR Congo president, Joseph Kabila.
President Kabila said afterwards that he had expected the Swiss to announce they would return about 1 billion dollar or even more. The late dictator was believed to have stashed billions of dollars embezzled from the government treasury in Swiss accounts.
Non-governmental organizations say they are concerned the frozen assets will be returned to Mobutus family – which is what will happen at the end of 2008 unless their origin can be legally determined.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
