Swiss seize luxury 30-room villa

BERN, Switzerland (AP) - Just hours before the announcement that Mobutu Sese Seko was giving up his powers, the Swiss government said that it was seizing a villa near Lake Geneva which belonged to the beleaguered President.

The 30-room Villa les Miguettes in Savigny, east of Lausanne, is the only significant asset so far identified as belonging to Mr Mobutu. He inherited the five-hectare estate from his mother in 1978. The villa has an annexe, with two separate apartments and a swimming pool. The grounds are surrounded by tall trees.

There was growing opposition in Switzerland to Mr Mobutu's presence. After he left for France last November, the Swiss government refused to issue him a new visa for follow-up medical treatment on grounds that a visit to Switzerland was no longer medically necessary.