Africa-Press – Mozambique. Lawyer Alexandre Chivale is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, in an autonomous proceeding, on suspicion of money laundering in the companies Txopela Investimentos and Dandula, of which he is a director and majority shareholder, respectively.
According to Notícias sources, the investigations arose after evidence of the lawyer’s connection with the two companies, allegedly used to receive money from Privinvest for the benefit of private individuals, came to light.
The same Noticias sources state that the investigations were also spurred on by the fact that the lawyer was suspected of obstructing proceedings currently being carried out by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Chivale is also indicated as regularly travelling to Lebanon to meet Jean Boustani and other Privinvest partners, a fact which, according to the Public Prosecutor, is making the normal course of investigations unfeasible.
Until recently the defence lawyer of ‘hidden debts’ trial defendants António Carlos do Rosário, Maria Inês Moiane and Elias Moiane, Chivale was prevented by the court from continuing to represent them on the grounds of incompatibility and conflict of interests, and ending up being appointed a declarant in the case.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office alleges, in the indictment of the ‘hidden debts’ case, that Txopela Investimentos, the company of which the lawyer is administrator, received, concealed and laundered millions of dollars paid by the Privinvest Group for the purchase of properties in favour of defendant António Carlos do Rosário.
The Public Prosecutor also indicates that Chivale holds 75 percent of the capital as a partner in the company Dandula, which manages the real estate assets acquired by Txopela Investimentos with the funds resulting from the default which is currently being tried.
Last week, judge Efigênio Baptista ordered the dismissal of Txopela Investimentos as a trustee for not having been appointed by the court in the order that determined the seizure of the properties occupied and managed by the lawyer.
As a result, the judge of the case ordered the administrator of Txopela, in this case the lawyer Alexandre Chivale, to abandon, within five working days, the aforementioned real estate assets and hand over the keys to the court, which, in turn, will deposit them with the Administration of State Properties (APIE).
On Thursday of last week, Alexandre Chivale was replaced in the present case by Isálcio Mahanjane, who will now defend, in addition to Ndambi Guebuza, co-defendants António Carlos do Rosário, Maria Inês Moiane and Elias Moiane.
Mahanjane asked for five days to better study the case in matters dealing with his three new constituents, so the court suspended the trial until the 28th of this month.
Chivale will now have to appear in court as a declarant in the case currently under trial.
By
Amandio Roberto Macuácua
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