French company drawn into arms inquiry

French judges investigating the illegal shipment of weapons to Angola have opened a judicial inquiry into the activities of state-owned arms exporter Sofremi, AFP said on Wednesday. The son of former president Francois Mitterrand, Jean-Christophe, and arms dealer Pierre Falcone are already under investigation for their alleged part in the shipment of arms worth US $500 million in 1993 and 1994.

The report said the investigation would now also look into whether Sofremi, which is under the authority of the French interior ministry, could be charged with misuse of company funds and false accounting. Sofremi's chief executive at the time of the deal, Bernard Poussier, is already under investigation for fraud and influence peddling.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos was quoted in Angolan media reports as saying that some "agents" of the French state where involved in "intoxication and defamation campaigns against Angolan entities". "These acts hurt the interest of the (Angolan) government as a third party which has acted in good faith", Dos Santos was quoted as saying. He maintained that Angola had not acquired any war material in the France.

He was also quoted as saying that that he had no intention of
interfering in French affairs but had the "duty to acknowledge that a few persons facing legal actions in France gave an enormous contribution to the development of friendship and cooperation between Angola and France". "Mr Pierre Falcone
for instance, assisted Angola at a crucial moment in its history and, thanks to this help, democracy and a lawful state were protected in Angola," Dos Santos said.