Maputo, 8 May (AIM) – The United Kingdom intends to return to Mozambique 829,500 pounds sterling (over one million US dollars at the current exchange rate) that was obtained from corrupt activities.
To this end, the first agreement to return these assets was signed on Tuesday, in the Bailiwick of Jersey, by the Mozambican Deputy Attorney General, Alberto Paulo, and the Attorney General of Jersey, Mark Temple KC.
“The agreement follows a request by the Jersey Attorney General to confiscate funds deposited in a trust institution in Jersey by a Mozambican citizen, Carlos Fragoso, who had received bribe payments in the course of his work in Mozambique”, reads a document from the Mozambican Attorney General’s Office (PGR).
According to the note, Carlos Fragoso deposited funds with Tolvex Trust in 1996, claiming that he was a civil engineer who was looking to benefit his family with savings from his previous earnings.
But in fact Fragoso, far from a simple engineer, was a high ranking official in the Mozambican Ministry of Public Works.
“During his career, he held several high-level positions, including National Director of Roads and Bridges, and chairperson of the National Roads Administration (ANE). In 2013, the Royal Court discovered that Mr Fragoso had set up another trust in Jersey, using the same sham in relation to his employment and sources of income”, says the PGR note.
The court also discovered that his assets were the proceeds of bribes paid to him by companies wanting to secure construction contracts in Mozambique.
“This led to the suspicion that the Tolvex Trust might also contain proceeds of crime resulting from bribery and corruption”, reads the note.
Following the assistance provided by the Mozambican authorities, the UK Department of Justice’s Economic Crime and Confiscation Unit used the provisions of the Asset Forfeiture (Civil Proceedings) Law of 2018 to successfully apply for the confiscation of the funds held by the trust.
Under the terms of the agreement, the returned assets will be used by the Mozambican authorities to combat financial crime.
Most of the funds will be used to support the development and expansion of the main law enforcement agencies in Mozambique, namely the Central Office for Asset Recovery, the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption and the Asset Management Office.
“The funds will also be used by the investigation and prosecution institutions to support a five-day training course for 60 trainees from Mozambique’s 11 provinces on international and judicial co-operation in criminal matters”, says the document.
(AIM)
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