Hidden debts: London rejects Safa family appeal
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Opais
London’s Court of Appeal has rejected the appeal by Skandar Safa’s family against a ruling ordering repayment to Mozambique in the hidden debts case. It also ordered the family to pay just over $150,000 in legal costs; Maputo is meanwhile pursuing efforts to locate assets, according to Mozambique’s prosecution service as cited by O País.
London’s High Court of Appeal has rejected an appeal by the family of businessman Iskandar Safa in Mozambique’s hidden debts case and ordered them to pay the Mozambican state just over $150,000 in legal costs, O País reports, citing a source at the Office of the Attorney General (PGR).
The family challenged a first-instance ruling issued in June 2025, which ordered repayment to Mozambique of sums owed in place of Iskandar Safa, who died between the trial and the judgment. His widow and children argued that they should not be held liable, saying they had taken no part in either the borrowing or the events related to the hidden debts. The court rejected their arguments.
According to the PGR, the ruling strengthens prospects for enforcing the judgment in the main case in favour of the state. Judicial and extrajudicial efforts are under way to locate assets that could allow the sums owed to be recovered. In July 2024, Privinvest was ordered to pay Mozambique $1.9 billion.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
