Rene Cardona case

Rene Cardona is a French businessman and long time associate of President Omar Bongo. Mr Cardona was imprisoned in 1996 after a business dispute with Mr Bongo, to whom he had sold a shipping and fishing firm. Mr Cardona was freed after his son paid more than $580,000 (£400,000) into President Bongo's account. 1 When the matter came before a French court, Mr Bongo's defense was that  Mr Cardona owed him money from the sale of the shipping and fishing firm and that the $580,000 was paid in connection with the sale of the firm, and not as a ransom for his release from jail. However, Mr Cardona maintained that the amount paid by his son was  to secure his release.  A French court found Mr Bongo guilty of official corruption. 2 The court ordered that President Bongo should pay back the money received as ransom, including interest and legal costs, which came to about  $1, 444 million. 3 The fine includes the original ransom payment plus interest over nearly 13 years.