Mozambique: Attorney general to appeal acquittal ruling for ex-boss of flag carrier LAM

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Mozambique: Attorney general to appeal acquittal ruling for ex-boss of flag carrier LAM

8:26 CAT | 16 Sep 2021

File photo: O País

The Mozambican attorney general’s office said on Wednesday it would appeal against the ruling that on Monday acquitted the former president of Mozambique Airlines (LAM) in a case of buying aircraft.

The issue at stake is “the understanding of the court regarding (…) the statute of limitations for the crime of economic participation in business,” the attorney general’s office (PGR) said in a statement.

Former LAM leader José Viegas was one of three people to be tried and the only one to be acquitted.

Former Mozambican transport and communications minister Paulo Zucula was sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption. Former executive of General Electric Oil&Gas in Mozambique Mateus Zimba, accused of having set up a front company used to circulate bribe money, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The lawyers for both announced they would appeal the decision.

The PGR accused the three defendants of having planned a scheme to inflate LAM’s purchase of two aircraft from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, in 2009, setting a price of US$31.1 million (26.4 million euros) against the real price of about US$30 million (25.5 million euros).

Prosecutors believe that the value was inflated to bribe Paulo Zucula and Mateus Zimba. Both are charged with economic participation in a business deal and money laundering.

José Viegas, the former president of LAM, was charged with economic participation in business, allegedly for having pressured Embraer to raise the price of aircraft and make payments to the other two defendants, but the court acquitted him as the crime is time-barred.

Source: Lusa