A French court has handed a three year jail term to Teodorin Obiang Nguema, the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea over  a corruption scandal widely referred to as the “ill-gotten assets saga.”

The court in Paris had in January this year opened a corruption, embezzlement and misuse of public funds case against Teodorin, who is the first son of the country’s long serving leader, Teodore Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The prosecution team , besides pushing for a three – year jail term and confiscation of the properties of the 48 – year – old Teodorin also appealed that he should be mandated to pay a fine of over 30 million euros, all which were upheld by the court.

Despite the failed bid of the West African country’s government to stop Teodorin’s trial, he was eventually tried and charged in absentia after repeatedly denying the various charges.

The government had argued that trying Teodorin in a Paris court was against international law but in December, 2016, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague rejected their request and asked the court proceeded with the trial.