Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Two South Africa engineers returned home, having spent more than two years in prison in Equatorial Guinea on what the UN called “arbitrary and illegal” drug charges.
Fick Pogiter and Peter Huksham, both in the mid-1950s, were arrested in February 2023 after drugs were found in the luggage.
They were sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $ 5 million (4 million pounds), but after a long campaign they were appointed presidential pardon after a long campaign and South Africa government.
Their arrest took place a few days after South Africa seized luxury assets belonging to Vice President Guinea Teodor Nguema Obian.
The yacht and two villas of Cape Town, owned by Obian, who is also the son of President Equatorial Guinea, were detained in the performance of A. court ruling.
“We have been overflowing with relief and joy. The last two years and four months have been incredibly painful for both of our families,” a statement published by two male families said.
They worked at the Dutch oil and gas company SBM in Equatorial Guinea when they arrested the night before they had to return home after a five -week stay in the country.
Families have called for the South Africa government as well as the UK government because Mr. Huksham has a double nationality.
“South Africa expresses my sincere gratitude to the Government of Equatorial Guinea for consideration and ultimately providing this pardon of the president, which allowed Mr. Huksham and Mr. Pogiter to return home to his loved ones,” said Message to X Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa Ronald Lamola.
The UN Working Group on arbitrary detention called for the couples last year, saying that their detention was illegal.
Their families say the couple was arrested in revenge for the western assets belonging to the Vice President of Equatorial Guinea.
BBC contacted the equatorial Guinea for comments.
The South African official told the BBC that the courts decided the fate of the yacht and the villa, and the government could not intervene.
