Congo leader runs up massive hotel bill in New York
The leader of one of Africa's poorest countries ran up a hotel bill of $400,000 (£207,000) during two trips to New York last year.
Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso spent £12,000 on room service during a five-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria, putting the bill through under the country's official expense account covering its mission to the USA.
On a second trip to the same hotel in September, during the UN general assembly meeting, he treated himself and his entourage to 44 hotel rooms and £14,000 of room service, thought to have included several bottles of Cristal champagne.
The bill came to more than £130,000; dwarfing the £106,000 Britain provided in humanitarian aid last year.
Sarah Wykes, of anti-corruption group, Global Witness, said: "In what sense are these hotel bills a good use of Congo-Brazzaville's money when the majority of the population doesn't have electricity or drinking water?"
Last year the World Bank and the International Monetary fund agreed to a debt relief package on the grounds that the country was too poor to meet its financial commitments.
Waldorf Astoria, New York website >>
By Alex Blakelock
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