A French court has decided not to pursue an investigation into three African heads of state for money laundering linked to their assets in France. A French judge had been seeking to investigate Gabon's late leader Omar Bongo, the Republic of Congo's President Denis Sassou-Nguesso and President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, following a complaint by Transparency International France, a group that tracks corruption. But an appeals court ruled Thursday that the probe could not go forward because there was not enough evidence of wrongdoing. A preliminary investigation had turned up numerous signs of wealth among the three leaders and their families, including luxury cars – Aston Martins, Bugattis and Mercedes – sometimes paid for in cash.
