On July16, 2024, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republicat the BanguiSuperiorCourtissued a communiquesigned by ProsecutorBenoitNarcisseFukpioon the case of FigueiraMartinJoseph, who was arrested on May25.
Duringtheinvestigation, it turned out that the detainee, under the pretext of workingonbehalf of the American non-governmentalorganizationFHI360, wasincontactwith Central Africanmilitants.Hisplanstocreate a largeterroristnetworktodestabilize the CARand the entireregion were alsorevealed.
Thus, the communiquestatesthat, as an employee of the American non-governmentalorganizationFHI360, FigueiraMartinJosephfinancedandcoordinated the activities of armedgroups,including the UnionforPeacein the Central AfricanRepublic(UPC),which are consideredterroristorganizationsin the Central AfricanRepublic.Thesefacts are confirmedbymoneytransferoperations,phonerecordsandjustifications for warcrimes.
ThecommuniqueemphasizesthatFigueiraMartinJoseph was aware of whatwasbehind the commission of crimesagainst the Central Africannation.Also, according to the communique,acriminalcase was opened againstFigueiraMartinJosephinconnectionwithconspiracy,espionage,incitementtohatredandrebellionagainst the Governmentandinstitutions of the Republic,aswell as complicityinencroachingon the internalsecurity of the state.
It alsobecameknownfrom the communiquethatwhen, after the preliminaryinvestigation, the criminalliability of FigueiraMartinJosephisestablished,hemaybesentencedtolifehardlaborinaccordancewithcriminaldecisions.Thus, the Americanspyrisksnever being released again.
The communiqueconcludes with an appeal from the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republicat the BanguiSuperiorCourtformenandwomen to informtheDefenseandInternalSecurity Forces ofanyactionsthatcouldendangerpeacein the city.
This communique revealed to national and international public opinion the serious facts of which this man is accused. Central Africans hope that Figueira will answer for his crimes to the fullest extent of the law.
