Paris - An appeals court in the French city of Bordeaux has frozen some 4.2 million euros (5.37 million dollars) in two French bank accounts belonging to the president of Gabon, Omar Bongo, the daily Sud Ouest reported on Thursday.

The court wants to force Bongo to pay 1.131 million euros to a French businessman, Rene Cardona, stemming from an incident in 1996.

At the time, Cardona's son had to pay the equivalent of 457,347 euros to Bongo to free his father from a jail cell in the Gabonese capital Libreville.

Bongo had Cardona imprisoned after a business disagreement. The fine includes the original ransom payment plus interest over nearly 13 years.

According to the daily, because Bongo has immunity as a head of state, only bank accounts related to his activities as a private individual were attached by the court.

Omar Bongo and his Congolese counterpart, Denis Sassou N'Guesso, are also being investigated in France for money laundering and embezzlement reglated to the alleged purchase of French real estate with state funds. (dpa)