https://www.mtv.com.lb-The ongoing investigations in Lebanon revealed an important role for Fábrica de Explosivos de Moçambique Lda (FEM) in the ammonium nitrate explosion that occurred on August 4, 2020, in the Beirut port.
– Suspicious deal
The ammonium nitrate shipment, weighing 2,750 tons, was bought by the British company Savaro Limited from Rustavi Azot LLC in Georgia, for the FEM and funded by Banco Internacional de Mocambique (formerly Millennium BIM).
The British company Savaro Limited, which commissioned the purchase of ammonium nitrate for FEM, is a dormant company with a capital of 1,000 pounds and has not claimed the vessel’s ownership for 6 years, as shown by Companies House records in Britain.
The question that arises is: Why would FEM resort to a British company that is out of business to buy ammonium nitrate through it?
FEM stated in a televised interview broadcast in Beirut that the company was normally dealing with Savaro Limited and that it did not pay for the ammonium nitrate shipment to Savaro Limited because it did not receive it in Maputo due to the shipment seizure in Beirut, and that Savaro Limited bought and delivered FEM another quantity of ammonium nitrate.
The investigation will reveal whether this is true or false, as Limited Savaro was out of business. If it turns out that FEM did not receive any ammonium nitrate shipment later on, then its role was limited to a single operation, which is the ammonium nitrate that exploded in the port of Beirut.
The Lebanese investigation focuses at this stage on determining the identity of the owners of Savaro Limited and how it funded the deal made in favor of FEM while it was no longer operating, as Lebanon sent judicial letters to London and Mozambique to uncover these points.
– Suspected Rhosus route and feigned seizures to keep it in Beirut
The ammonium nitrate was shipped from Georgia on board the vessel Rhosus. The shipment destination was originally Maputo, as the port of Beirut was not on the normal course of the Rhosus vessel.
On November 23rd, 2013, the Rhosus vessel was diverted to the port of Beirut under the pretext of transporting equipment for a British company from Beirut to the port of Aqaba.
After trying to load the equipment belonging to the British company on the deck of the Rhosus vessel, the British company refused to load its goods because the vessel’s hold was full of ammonium nitrate and the vessel had therefore to leave Beirut port towards Maputo in Mozambique as its natural destination. However, the technical authorities of Beirut port prevented the vessel from traveling under the pretext that it was not capable of navigation.
So, the vessel remained in Beirut under this excuse.
After that, seizures were placed on the vessel in guarantee of debts owed by the vessel’s owners, which seizures constituted a pretext for the vessel to remain in the port of Beirut.
Then the ammonium nitrate cargo was unloaded from the Rhosus vessel in hangar No. 12, where it remained for 6 years until its explosion on August 4, 2020.
The question that arises is: How was the Rhosus vessel allowed to travel from Georgia to Istanbul before diverting its course to Beirut if it was not qualified for navigation? Were the malfunctions that the Lebanese authorities uncovered at the port of Beirut on November 23rd and 24th, 2013, not incurred while the ship was in Beirut?
But who is FEM, which was accused of the Beirut blast by the Lebanese investigator? And what is the link between FEM and the President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, and his son Jacinto?
FEM is a Mozambican company founded in the year 1955 owned by Moura Silva et filhos SA and by Mr. Nuno Miguel da Silva Viera who manages the company.
Da Silva Veira established a network of Mozambican companies such as Mudemol and The Gafe, which was founded by da Silva and Jacinto Filipe Nyusi, son of the current President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, who was the Minister of Defense when the two companies were founded.
Most importantly, Nuno Miguel da Silva’s establishment of Mudemol and The Gafe (which he founded with Jacinto Filipe Nyusi) took place with the partnership and approval of the Mozambican Ministry of Defense represented at the time by the Minister of Defense, Filipe Nyusi, through Monte Binga, which is 100% owned by the Ministry of Defense.
We have also learned that the Mozambican authorities are not cooperating with the Lebanese investigation.
Accordingly, the current President of Mozambique, which was the Minister of Defense when the shipment of ammonium nitrate was made, and his son hold the answer to uncover who paid for the shipments and whether an end user was purchased by a certain party to disguise the ammonium nitrate transportation process, or was it really heading to Mozambique? And if so, then what was the reason for stopping at the port of Beirut while it was not on the normal course of the Rhosus vessel?
All of these questions must be answered by submitting letters from the Investigating Judge, Tarek Bitar, to the Interpol and the authorities of Mozambique.