Two former Guinean governors arrested last December on corruption charges were released on Friday, a defence source told Lusa.
Former Finance Minister Sulejman Seide and former Finance Minister António Monteiro left the cells of the judicial police in Bissau on the orders of the criminal judge, the same source added.
The two former governors left after posting bail set by the judge and will await at liberty the “development of the process” related to the case of six billion CFA francs (nine thousand euros).
The case has been pending before the Supreme Court (STJ) since March last year, when the defence filed a request arguing that the case file contained a case of unconstitutionality.
The defense believes that the Department for Combating Corruption and Economic Crimes, which conducted the investigation into the two former governors, was created illegally by the prosecutor’s office.
The appeal was sent to the STJ, which in turn referred it to the plenary session of the body, which at the moment, according to lawyers for the two former governors, does not have a quorum to work.
The Attorney General of the Republic, Bakary Biay, accuses Suleiman Seide and the lawyers of António Monteiro of “linking the process” by declaring the incident unconstitutional.
Souleymane Seydi and António Monteiro, both leaders of the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), were arrested on November 30, 2023, on orders from the Ministry of Justice, which accuses them of improperly paying public debts to 11 businessmen.
The debts in question amount to six billion CFA francs.
The prosecutor’s office, which decided to place them in preventive detention, accuses the two former governors of corruption crimes, abuse of power, violation of budget rules, embezzlement and tax fraud.
The arrest of Seide and Monteiro, then members of the Platform for an Inclusive Alliance (PAI-Terra Ranka) government coalition, triggered armed clashes between elements of the National Guard and the Guinean armed forces.
A few hours after the arrest, the National Guard took the two former rulers out of their cells and took them to the barracks, which were attacked by the Armed Forces.
Guinean President Houmaro Sissoko Embalo, who was abroad, declared upon his return that it was an attempted coup that resulted in the government being forced to resign and parliament being dissolved.
On March 11, the court scheduled a hearing for the two former rulers, but the hearing was suspended at the last minute due to an unconstitutional incident alleged by the defense.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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