Tomaz Salomão outraged with Manuel Chang’s “involvement” in hidden debts

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Tomaz Salomão outraged with Manuel Chang’s “involvement” in hidden debts

2:53 CAT | 14 Jan 2019

in file CoM

The former SADC executive secretary and Mozambican finance minister Tomaz Salomão expressed indignation, sadness and disappointment at the alleged involvement of Manuel Chang in the so-called hidden debts scandal.

In an interview with Radio Moçambique, Salomão began by recalling the importance of a minister of finance as treasurer of the state, which obliges him to behave with integrity, transparency and, above all, honesty.

“The public treasurer is absolutely forbidden, I repeat: absolutely forbidden to move, take, or enjoy any property belonging to the public purse for personal benefit – absolutely forbidden,” he said.

Detained in South Africa since late December, Manuel Chang fights extradition to the United States. Salomão says he is not concerned where he will be tried, and that the most important thing is for justice to be done.

“He will be tried, whether in Mozambique, South Africa, the US, or The Hague: he will be tried somewhere and that is a good thing because it will serve as an example so that things like this will not happen again, and so those who dare to do so will realise they will be punished in an exemplary way,” he explained.

For Salomão, the most important thing at the moment is for the institutions of justice to work so that those who have diverted money can return it to the country so that the payment of the debts will not fall on the country.

“I think that justice institutions, in addition to judging those who are involved in this, must ensure that these assets are recovered, and tomorrow we will discuss whether Mozambique will have to pay anything or not. Maybe we will come to the conclusion that we have no debt to pay, we have nothing to pay, we as a country, we as citizens of this country,” he concluded.

Source: O País