Shots from military weapons were heard this Friday in Bissau, the capital of Guinea-Bissau, around 1:20 am and lasted for several minutes, which Lusa witnessed on the spot.
Shots were heard in the Luanda area on the outskirts of Bissau, the origin of the shots is unknown.
The shots came as tensions erupted Thursday evening after the ministry ordered the preventive arrest of Finance Minister Sulemain Seide and Finance Minister Antonio Monteiro.
Both members of the government were taken to the headquarters of the judicial police, where, as several witnesses told Lusa, members of the National Guard took them out of their cells.
Guinea-Bissau’s Minister of Economy and Finance Souleymane Seydi and Finance Minister António Monteiro were arrested this Friday as part of a process related to payments to businessmen, a judicial source told Lusa.
Seidy and Monteiro were placed in pre-trial detention and taken to judicial police cells in the Rino district, near the Mercado do Bandim market, in central Bissau, after about six hours of hearings at the State Ministry, the source said. .
Two government officials are being investigated for paying six billion CFA francs (about 9.14 million euros) to 11 businessmen through a loan to a commercial bank in Bissau.
The opposition, which denounced the case in parliament, argues that it is a crime, malfeasance and disrespect for budget rules attributed to the Minister of Economy and Finance, which was considered in parliament last Monday.
In this case, Suleiman Seydi confirmed the loan request, stated that the entire process was legal, and also confirmed that this is a normal procedure between the governments of Guinea-Bissau.
The opposition, represented by the Movement for Democratic Change (Madem G15), considers the process fraudulent because it involves “only businessmen associated with the government” from the Platform for Inclusive Alliance (PAI – Terra Ranka) coalition.
Soon after the case was reported, the prosecutor’s office conducted searches and seized documents in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, as well as in the bank that issued a loan for settlements to businessmen.
Since last week, several heads of the Ministry of Economy and Finance have already been interrogated, and this Friday the two main people responsible for this institution were arrested.
Souleymane Seydi and António Monteiro are the leaders of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), which heads the PAI-Terra Ranca coalition in government, along with the Social Renewal Party (PRS) and the Workers’ Party of Guinea (PTG). ) and five other small political entities.
Madem G15 and the United People’s Assembly – Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau (APU – PDGB) are the only opposition parties in parliament.
The arrest of the financial portfolio holder came on the day the government approved in the Council of Ministers the general state budget for 2024, scheduled for discussion and voting at the plenary session of the National People’s Assembly, which will last until December. 27th.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.