Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi took action by requesting the intervention of London’s High Court on Tuesday, to prevent the dissemination of allegations regarding his purported acceptance of unlawful payments. These accusations emerged amidst Mozambique’s ongoing legal battle against Credit Suisse and other involved parties concerning the controversial “$2 billion tuna bond” scandal. The President seeks to safeguard his reputation and ensure a fair legal process.
The tuna bond, also known as the “hidden debt” case, has sparked criminal inquiries spanning from Maputo to New York, along with a sequence of litigations in London, which encompass Credit Suisse, shipbuilder Privinvest, its proprietor Iskandar Safa, and numerous other parties involved.
Mozambique, being among the world’s most impoverished nations, is seeking to annul a sovereign guarantee linked to a loan that it contends was obtained through corrupt means, aiming to obtain compensation for other alleged wrongdoings.
However, the London cases have encountered various challenges in the run-up to the scheduled trial in October. Mozambique’s recurrent inability to disclose crucial documents has posed a significant risk of derailing the litigation.
Privinvest and Safa are attempting to implicate Nyusi in the matter, contending that he should share responsibility for any potential damages they might be instructed to compensate should they be deemed liable to Mozambique.
Their allegation against Nyusi centers on payments totaling $11 million, which they assert Privinvest made in 2014 to support Nyusi’s successful presidential candidacy and the election campaign of his ruling Frelimo party.
Nyusi’s attempt to seek immunity adds a new dimension to the ongoing dispute, which has been centered around three agreements between state-owned entities and Privinvest. These deals were ostensibly aimed at developing Mozambique’s fishing industry and enhancing maritime security.