Which method was used to conceal ownership of assets by Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue?

• A. Opening shell accounts at US banks
• B. Investing in real estate
• C. Donating to charities
• D. Trading commodities

Answer: (A)

The method at play is using shell accounts to hide who really owns the assets. A shell account is a bank account opened under a front person, shell company, or dummy entity, with little or no legitimate activity showing. The true owner can stay hidden while funds move through these accounts, making it hard for investigators to trace ownership or the source of the assets. In this case, setting up such accounts in US banks provided a way to cloak who actually controlled and benefited from the assets.

Real estate investments, charitable donations, or trading commodities can involve legitimate wealth management or even laundering, but they are not the technique that specifically conceals ownership of assets in the banking system in the same direct way as shell accounts do.