Probe into illegal arms sales to Angola continues in Paris

The French defence ministry said it had declassified a confidential document so that it could be examined by two magistrates investigating illegal arms sales to Angola, Channel Africa reported on Tuesday. The magistrates demanded that four other reports they seized in March be declassified as well, but the ministry would not do so until a commission on state defence secrets ruled on the demand, the report said. The magistrates are investigating whether French officials sold arms from Eastern Europe to Angola in 1993 and 1994 without authorisation. It is alleged that large commissions were paid for around US $500 million worth of arms sales. About 10 people have been implicated in the affair, including the eldest son of the late French president, Francois Mitterand.