Attorney General’s Office reacts to Mozambique’s former finance minister’s detention

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Attorney General’s Office reacts to Mozambique’s former finance minister’s detention

7:41 CAT | 07 Jan 2019

in file CoM

The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in Mozambique has reacted to the detention of former finance minister Manuel Chang in compliance with a judicial mandate issued by the US court.

In a press release, the PGR says it only learnt of the detention in a communication made by the Mozambican Consulate in South Africa on December 29.

The Attorney General’s Office received, on December 31 last year, from the United States Embassy in Pretoria a copy of the accusation against Chang and two other Mozambicans.

On the eve of the hearing, which may decide whether or not to extradite the accused, the PGR says it is making every effort to ensure that “offenders” are held accountable at the national level.

“Considering that in the case in the United States jurisdiction, Mozambican citizens are accused, and if there is a criminal proceeding against the same facts in our jurisdiction, the PGR is initiating proceedings with the competent authorities of the Republic of South Africa and of the United States of America to safeguard the interests of the Mozambican State, regarding the accountability of offenders in Mozambican territory and recovery of assets,” it stated.

At the same time, the PGR reveals that in its investigation into the contours of hidden debts, it has already constituted 18 accused comprising “civil servants and other citizens, indicted for crimes of abuse of office or function, abuse of trust, embezzlement and money laundering of capital” and the process is in the preparatory stage.

Source: O País