French warrant for E. Guinea president's son

France has issued an arrest warrant for the son of Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema after he refused to be interviewed by magistrates on graft charges, a judicial source said Friday. Magistrates want to speak to Teodorin Nguema Obiang Mangue about allegations of money laundering and embezzlement but he declined to be interviewed, claiming immunity as Equatorial Guinea's vice president. Since 2010 French judges have been probing allegations of corruption under President Obiang, Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso, and Omar Bongo, the late president of Gabon. "Mr Obiang enjoys immunity as vice president of Equatorial Guinea and so could not come in in response to the summons for questioning," his lawyer Emmanuel Marsigny told AFP, saying he had not been informed of the warrant. "Such an arrest warrant is null and void because of Mr Obiang's status and is a non-event," he added. In April, French prosecutors called for an international warrant for Teodorin Obiang's arrest to face questioning in the investigation. They have also turned their attention to Equatorial Guinean businessmen living in Spain. Equatorial Guinea's main opposition parties have accused the veteran president of lining up his son to succeed him.