SA engineers held on trumped-up charges in Equatorial Guinea

First private contact made with SA engineer held in Equatorial Guinea jail

Two SA engineers held on trumped-up expenses.  They’re victims of a political vendetta, and so their launch requires a political answer
Plus: a wedding proposal over the cellphone

South Africa, 3 October 2023 – The household of Peter Huxham, one of many two South African engineers being held unlawfully in jail in Equatorial Guinea, spoke to Peter by way of cellphone for the primary time since he was arrested on 9 February 2023. The decision was organized by way of the UK Excessive Fee to Cameroon who secured an official go to to see Peter, on the premise that he holds each SA and UK citizenship.

Sadly, the household of Peter’s colleague, Frik Potgieter who’s being held in the identical cell at Mongomo Jail, was not permitted to talk to his household as Frik solely has SA citizenship and the UK Excessive Fee was solely granted permission by Equatorial Guinea to fulfill with Peter.

Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham are each extremely skilled, skilled engineers who have been working for the Dutch firm SBM Offshore in Equatorial Guinea after they have been arrested at their lodge in Malabo on the night of 9 February 2023 on trumped-up allegations of drug-related expenses. They have been wrongfully convicted and sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment, in addition to being ordered to pay $5M USD (R93,7 million) every in damages with a further $2.5M USD (R46,8 million) high-quality to be shared between them. 

The matter is presently being appealed by Potgieter and Huxham’s attorneys.  

There have been widespread experiences that the arrests of Frik and Peter are linked to the seizure of a superyacht and luxurious properties in Cape City, owned by the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea, who’s the President’s son.  The superyacht was seized by the SA courts simply days earlier than the 2 males have been arrested.

Francois Nigrini, spokesperson for the Huxham household mentioned this can be a clear indication that this can be a political matter, which requires a political answer, and that they’re victims of trumped-up expenses. 

On Thursday 14 September 2023, Peter Huxham’s life accomplice of 30 years, Kathy McConnachie was at house in Langebaan when she obtained the sudden name from the consultant of the UK Excessive Fee to Cameroon, who mentioned he was with Peter, and would she like to talk to him.

Francois Nigrini, spokesperson for the Huxham household, defined the decision as follows:

“Kathy was fully shocked to obtain the decision, and as you may think about it was very emotional, since she hasn’t spoken to Peter for 7 months. There was a lot to share and he or she didn’t know the way lengthy the decision can be. Ultimately, the decision was 21 minutes lengthy. She did discover out that Peter and Frik are sharing a cell, and that regardless of having by no means met one another earlier than the day of their arrest, they really feel they’re now brothers as they collectively endure the horrible and unjust state of affairs they discover themselves in. Peter assured her that whereas he and Frik have misplaced an infinite quantity of weight, they’re receiving two meals a day and are allowed out of their cell for two hours a day to get some contemporary air and train. Additionally they have entry to treatment. This was an infinite reduction to each households, nevertheless it doesn’t alleviate the overwhelming nervousness and ache they reside with day by day as there isn’t any indication if Peter and Frik will likely be freed and might return house.

“Peter mentioned he and Frik have written letters to their households day by day since their arrest, however Kathy confirmed to him that not a single one has been delivered to them. 

“Kathy was additionally in a position to share an replace with Peter concerning the dream home they’d began constructing collectively in January, a undertaking which has stored Kathy going by all of the months of uncertainty. They laid the foundations collectively, after which Peter went off to Equatorial Guinea for a 5 week work stint. He has not been again. Peter was overwhelmed and proud to listen to that Kathy has continued to construct whereas he has been gone; she advised him the partitions are up and the roof is on. However he requested her to attend for him to come back house to put in the electrics, in spite of everything he’s {an electrical} engineer!”

Within the ultimate moments of the decision, Peter stunned Kathy by asking her to marry him when he acquired house. They’ve been companions for over 30 years, and introduced up 2 kids collectively. Nigrini says Kathy didn’t hesitate to say sure. 

Shaun Murphy, spokesperson for Frik Potgieter, mentioned: “Kathy known as Frik’s spouse Sonja instantly after the decision. Whereas Sonja was clearly so relieved to listen to the updates from Peter, on the identical time, she is unhappy, disenchanted and pissed off that she has not been in a position to converse to Frik by the South African consular mission to Equatorial Guinea. Since their arrest 7 months in the past, DIRCO has solely managed to rearrange a single go to to Frik and Peter, which didn’t contain any private contact for his or her households. 

“The households are actually struggling. We want a political answer to safe their launch rapidly, and within the meantime, we want a mechanism to safe common private contact with Frik and Peter, which DIRCO have promised to help with.”

FACT SHEET – FRIK POTGIETER AND PETER HUXHAM

Two South Africans, Frederik ‘Frik’ Potgieter (53) and Peter Huxham (55), have been arrested at their lodge in Malabo in Equatorial Guinea on the night of 9 February 2023 on allegations of drug-related expenses, and have been subsequently imprisoned.
The households have been devastated by Frik and Peter’s arrests, for crimes they unequivocally didn’t commit.
Frik and Peter are each extremely skilled, skilled engineers who have been working for the Dutch firm SBM Offshore in Equatorial Guinea on the time of their arrests.
That they had labored for the corporate for 11 and 15 years respectively, and have maintained an impeccable skilled report within the oil and fuel business, each in Equatorial Guinea and overseas in different nations. 
Regardless of each working for a similar firm, Frik and Peter didn’t know one another previous to their arrest. 
They obtained an official summons from the courtroom on Wednesday, 22 June 2023 and the trial was held on Monday, 26 June 2023. 
The decision was delivered on Thursday, 29 June 2023. 
The courtroom discovered them responsible of the unlawful drug trafficking, and sentenced every of them to 12 years of imprisonment in Equatorial Guinea.  As well as, they have been additionally ordered to pay $5M USD (R93,7 million) every in damages with a further $2.5M USD (R46,8 million) high-quality to be shared between them. 
Each Frik and Peter have denied all expenses from the outset, and are shocked that any allegations associated to medication can be introduced towards them.
The households know that Frik and Peter, who’re each much-loved, devoted household males and very well-respected inside their communities and professionally, are harmless.
Consequently, the households are within the strategy of interesting this devastating and misguided judgment, which they imagine is just not rooted in any truth or proof.  
The households will proceed to do all the pieces of their energy to show Frik and Peter’s innocence and to deliver them house to their family members and to the nation they love.
The precedence for the households proper now’s to ascertain common contact with Frik and Peter, and to make sure their ongoing security and wellbeing.  They may proceed to have interaction with the South African Division of Worldwide Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), and all diplomatic channels, to help on this regard. 
The households famous the Division of Worldwide Relations’ (DIRCO) assertion on 13 July 2023, by which the Division is asking for extra direct and constructive cooperation from the related authorities in Equatorial Guinea relating to Peter and Frik’s wrongful incarceration and conviction in that nation.
The households imagine that the wellbeing and launch of Frik and Peter will rely upon sturdy and profitable bilateral engagement between the Governments of South Africa and Equatorial Guinea, and so they urge DIRCO to pursue each avenue obtainable to realize this as rapidly as attainable. 
They’ve already been in jail in Equatorial Guinea for 7 months – each further day they continue to be in jail in Equatorial Guinea deepens their publicity to potential hurt, and additional misery.

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