Mitterrand's son denied bail

Jean-Christophe Mitterrand: Once France's "Mr Africa"

Jean-Christophe Mitterrand is set to remain in prison after being denied bail by a French court.

The court accepted the prosecution's argument that the case would be better served if Mr Mitterrand remained in jail during investigations into his alleged involvement in arms trafficking to Angola.

The son of the late President Francois Mitterrand is accused of misusing his powers to help in the sale of the weapons, and of receiving cash payments of tens of thousands of dollars from an arms dealer, Pierre Falcone.

His lawyer, Jean-Pierre Versini Campinchi, said his client had received $1.8m from Mr Falcone's arms company, Brenco International, but there was nothing illegal about the payments.

Mr Falcone faces charges of illegal weapons dealing, tax fraud and corruption.

Jean-Christophe Mitterrand was Africa adviser to his father from 1986 to 1992.

Long-running scandal

Allegations of corruption and illegal arms deals in Angola have dogged members of the French political establishment since 1997.

Former Interior Minister Charles Pasqua is also under investigation

A book published that year implicated Mr Falcone together with former Interior Minister Charles Pasqua and the former Minister of Cooperation for Development, Michel Roussin.

Similar allegations were made in 1999 by the British-based organisation Global Witness which linked the arms trade to French interests in Angola's oil industry.

Mr Falcone already faces charges of illegal arms deals and tax fraud relating to arms sales to the Angolan Government in 1993.

Murky deals

Mr Mitterrand, 54, is suspected of acting as intermediary for arms deals with African heads of state.

Angola has had nearly two decades of civil war

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, Mr Mitterrand's name was discovered on a computer disc belonging to Brenco International.

The report said the disc detailed four payments made in 1997 and 1998 into Swiss bank accounts in Mr Mitterrand's name.

Analysts believe Mr Mitterrand's close relationships with a number of African leaders were used to introduce Mr Falcone to contacts in the Angolan Government.

Investigators believe he also used his influence to arrange loans for the Angolans to pay for the arms.

Reign of secrecy

Mr Mitterrand was known by the nickname "papa-m'a-dit" (daddy told me) because of his frequent references to his father, and was criticised for conducting France's African policy in an environment of excessive secrecy.

He was said to have close personal relationships with many African leaders and their families, and to control the often complicated web of relations, both financial and political, between France and the African continent.

When questioned by a parliamentary committee in 1998 he said he only made one secret trip during his office, hardly ever took part in high-level meetings, and was only informed of important decisions such as arms treaties after they had been made.