Guebuza junior was found to have received $33 million to “move influence” with his father, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He intends to appeal. There is no word yet on whether his father will also be charged. Photo: Supplied
For seven months, Maputo’s city court convened in a tent in the grounds of a prison on the outskirts of the capital.
For this trial, the normal courtroom was not nearly big enough. In the dock were 19 men, some of the country’s most powerful and politically connected figures, charged in connection with their alleged role in the “hidden debt scandal” — one of the biggest fraud cases in African history.
Under former president Armando Guebuza, the government secretly borrowed $2 billion from international banks. The money was intended to refurbish the country’s fishing and military patrol boats, with the debt guaranteed by the state. Most of the money disappeared.
This fraud was knowingly facilitated by Swiss bank Credit Suisse, which has been fined by regulators for its criminality. No Credit Suisse executives have faced criminal prosecution, despite the company admitting liability.
This week, the court reached its verdict. It took five days for Judge Efigénio Baptista to read out the 1388 pages of findings. Twelve of the 19 were found guilty, including Armando Ndambi Guebuza, the eldest son of the former president.
Guebuza junior was found to have received $33 million to “move influence” with his father, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He intends to appeal. There is no word yet on whether his father will also be charged.
The current president, Filipe Nyusi, was minister of defence when the hidden debt scandal occurred.