A president's son, a novelist and an advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy were among 42 accused who went on trial Monday for illicit arms trade to Angola in a case dubbed "Angola-gate." The trial could shine a spotlight on high-level French involvement in weapons deliveries in violation of a UN arms embargo in the 1990's.

The trial before a Paris court centres on arms bought in Eastern Europe and sold to Angola from 1993 to 1998, at the height of the Angolan civil war between the government and UNITA rebels. Prosecutors allege that tanks, shells, landmines, helicopters and even six warships were shipped to Angola over five years, allowing Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos to build up his forces in the war against US-backed rebel Jonas Savimbi.

Illegal business
Two of the key suspects, businessman Pierre Falcone and Israeli-Russian tycoon Arkady Gaydamak, deny orchestrating the sale of weapons to dos Santos, who was fighting a brutal war. The judges accuse both men of illegal weapons sales, influence trafficking, tax evasion and corrupt practices.

If convicted, the two men face 10 years in prison. Falcone turned up for the opening of the trial while Jerusalem mayoral candidate Gaydamak is being tried in absentia and is believed to be hiding in Israel.

Other suspects, including the son of late French President François Mitterrand, are accused of "complicity in illegal trade" and taking bribes. Although no Angolans are charged in the French case, prosecutors allege that 30 officials including Dos Santos received tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks.

State security
Angola has petitioned to stop the trial on grounds that its state interests and national security would be discussed in court and therefore compromised.

A lawyer representing the Luanda government said he would ask the court to throw out the case by invoking French confidentiality laws protecting military secrets of foreign countries. "Angola is opposed to "public discussion of information in a foreign court that concerns its state interests and national security," said lawyer Francis Teitgen.

Up to 300,000 people died during the 27-year civil war between Angola's socialist government of Jose Eduardo dos Santos and Savimbi's UNITA rebels. The fighting ended in 2002.

Political heavyweights and cultural figures
Most of the other defendants are alleged to have received "misused" funds from a company run by Falcone. The accused range from political heavyweights such as Jacques Attali, an advisor to President Nicolas Sarkozy, to cultural figures such as crime-thriller novelist Paul-Loup Sulitzer and Chinese opera singer Alexandre Jia. Their gifts, investigators claim, came in the form of suitcases of cash, land on the Riviera, cars and trips to Las Vegas. All deny any wrongdoing.

Jean-Christophe Mitterrand, who acted during his father's presidency as the Elysée's Africa adviser for six years until 1992, is charged with complicity in illegal trade and embezzlement, and accepting bribes.

The trial is expected to last for five months.