The Obama administration has been ordered by a Californian court, to return the white Swarovski-crystal-studded glove previously worn by the late king of pop Michael Jackson.
According to a Hollywood reporter, the Obama administration acquired $71 million in seized assets from Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, in October after he indulged in a celebrity memorabilia splurge in the U.S.
Included in the plethora of prized possessions is $1.8 million worth of Jackson memorabilia — including the coveted white glove worn by the late King of Pop during his Bad World Tour in the late 1980s.
He also added a brief history of Nguema ‘s wealth, Nguema moved to the U.S. in 1991 to attend Pepperdine University.
According to the government, his expenses at the time were paid for by a U.S. oil company operating in his country.
The emigrant had enormous wealth, so he spread it around, moving assets in and out of the country. In 2010, after Jackson died, Nguema is said to have acquired a treasure trove of Jackson memorabilia, including one of the singer’s famous gloves.
Other items in Mangue’s collection include yachts, cars, jets and a $30 million mansion in Malibu.
Mangue has not been charged with any crime in his homeland or in the states, the federal court in California has objected to the seizure.
The judge says the U.S. government must show Mangue accumulated great wealth via a manner illegal under his country’s laws.
