Former minister, president's son, charged in Angolan arms deal

Oct 27, 2009, 16:28 GMT

Paris - A scandal involving the smuggling of arms to Angola resulted Tuesday in a French court handing out sentences to, among others, a former French interior minister and the son of a former president.

Former French interior minister Charles Pasqua, known for his hard line on law and order, was convicted by the Paris court of influence peddling in the affair and sentenced to one year in prison, French media reported.

The 82-year-old Pasqua, who is currently a senator and is viewed as being close to President Nicolas Sarkozy, was also fined 100,000 euros (148,700 dollars) for his role in the affair known as Angolagate. His lawyers said they would appeal.

Also sentenced was Jean-Christophe Mitterand, the son of former French president Francois Mitterand. He was convicted of receiving public funds and handed a suspended sentence of two years in prison as well as a fine of 375,000 euros.

He was charged with using his position to bring the arms sellers in contact with Angolan authorities in exchange for 2.6 million dollars.

Russian-Israeli businessman Arcadi Gaydmak and his French partner Pierre Falcone, regarded as the two key figures in the affair, were both sentenced to six years in prison for arms smuggling and other charges.

Both men were convicted of illicitly selling arms worth about 790 million dollars from the former Soviet Union to the government of Angola from 1993 to 1998, while a civil war was raging in the country.

Both said they would appeal. Gaydamak, 57, currently lives in Moscow and did not appear for the trial.

Jacques Attali, an adviser to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, was acquitted in the case.

A total of 42 defendants were charged in the case.