Corruption: Low and Middle-income Countries

Lord Bellingham Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, I refer the Minister to what is going on in France, where they use their universal jurisdiction rules to investigate and seize the French assets of corrupt African dictators. She will be aware of the case of Teodoro Obiang, who has had his 10 supercars impounded and his €60 million house frozen in a court order. There are other cases in the pipeline, including those of the former President of Gabon and the President of Congo-Brazzaville. Why can we not use similar tactics to the French?

[Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Lab)]

We have had a great deal of success in seizing assets and returning them to those Governments. I remind the House that most people in positions of leadership across Africa are not corrupt and are working incredibly hard for the benefit of their populations. I know the noble Lord agrees with that. We returned millions of pounds recently to Nigeria, where that money has been reinvested into public services for the benefit of those people. That is the work that we will continue to do.