Cyprus investigates suspected gun running accounts for Mitterrand’s son

By a Staff Reporter

CYPRIOT authorities have launched an investigation into whether the son of the late French President François Mitterrand has assets on the island obtained from illegal arms trafficking.

CID chief Tassos Panayiotou yesterday confirmed that French Interpol had contacted Cyprus authorities a few days ago and requested an investigation into the matter.

French authorities believe Jean-Christophe Mitterrand holds bank accounts on the island linked to illicit gun running in Angola.

Mitterrand was incarcerated for three weeks last December on suspicion of complicity in arms trafficking, influence peddling and misuse of public funds. He faces allegations that he used contacts built up as an adviser on African affairs from 1986 to 1992 during his father’s presidency to facilitate a $500 million sale of Russian weapons to Angola.

While Mitterrand denies any involvement in gun trading, he acknowledges investing $1.26 million in Mauritania from 41.3 million paid to him by Pierre Falcone, the head of an arms firm.

A UN probe launched last month linked three Cyprus-based companies to sanction-busting gun running to Angolan rebels. The report noted that “the central role played by the unidentified brokering companies in the procurement of arms by (rebel) UNITA is overwhelming and cannot be overestimated.”

In an attempt to force UNITA to end its war against the Angolan government, the UN Security Council imposed a ban in 1998 on rebel diamond exports used to purchase guns.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.