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USA refused to cooperate with Moz on secret debt, says Attorney General – Joseph Hanlon
1:27 CAT | 09 Jan 2019
Mozambique’s Attorney General made formal requests to the United States starting 30 March 2017 and the last on 14 March 2018 about bank transfers relating to companies in the United Arab Emirates and other countries. There was never any reply. But the data Mozambique was asking for appeared in the indictment issued in New York. Similar requests were made to the UAE, again without reply. The claims were made in a press statement yesterday afternoon by the Attorney General’s office (PGR, Procuradoria-Geral da Republica). In effect the PRG is accusing the US of refusing to cooperate and preventing Mozambique from bringing charges by not providing key informaiton, so that Manuel Chang and others cold be tried in the US rather than Mozambique.
The US Embassy in Maputo responded that it “does not comment on our bilateral communications with the Government of Mozambique.” The Department of Justice in the US cannot reply due to the US government shutdown.
However Carta de Mocambique (7 Jan) points out that in March 2017 the Attorney General’s office demanded bank details of one company and 17 individuals, which should have provided some of the same information. So far, there is no indication of local prosecutions.
In response to the US prosecution, the Attorney General’s office revealed it is proceeding against 18 people in cases related to the $2 bn secret debt.
Although vague, the press statement hints that the Attorney General wants to try Manuel Chang in Mozambique “for crimes committed in Mozambican territory” and is appealing to the South Africa to return him to Mozambique rather than allow him to be sent to the USA.
Source: J.Hanlon
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Wonder why such a frenzy of communication from PGR suddenly. Has anything changed? How can you now try anybody in Mozambique without even knowing what crimes were committed in Mozambique. Was it not the PGR decision to pass the buck to the AT and in essence conclude that it was not of their remit but a simple issue of due process not having been carried out by parliament, executives, etc. At that time there appeared little to no appetite to file criminal charges if any.