Mozambique: Court sends ex-president’s son, 10 accomplices, to prison for corruption

A court in Mozambique has sentenced the son of a former president, two ex-spy bosses, and eight others to years in prison for their part in a corruption scandal which saw hundreds of millions of dollars in government-backed loans disappear, crashing the southern African nation’s economy.

Nineteen people, including state security officials, went on trial for a ‘hidden debt’ scandal on charges such as money laundering, bribery and blackmail that crashed the country’s economy. The 11 were found guilty and sentenced on Wednesday (7 December) on charges related to a $2bn “hidden debt” scandal in which the government sought to conceal huge debts, triggering financial havoc. The remaining eight were acquitted by the court in Maputo. Armando Ndambi Guebuza, son of former president Armando Guebuza, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while others who were convicted were handed sentences of between 10 and 12 years.

“Armando Ndambi Guebuza showed no remorse for committing the crime and he maintains that he has been targeted for political reasons,” Judge Efigenio Baptista of the Maputo City Court said. “Ndambi still does not reckon that he wrongfully benefitted from $33m that the Mozambican people badly need.”

Two top intelligence service officials, General Director Gregorio Leao and head of the economic unit, Antonio Carlos do Rosario, were also sentenced to 12 years in prison each for charges including embezzlement, abuse of power, money laundering and criminal association. The judge said those convicted had by their actions helped impoverish Mozambique’s people. The debt scandal exposed corruption on a global scale and sparked legal cases across three continents. Swiss bank Credit Suisse was fined $475m last year over its part in issuing the loans.