Guilherme Posser da Costa (born 1953) was Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1999 to 2001.[1]
Posser da Costa served as Minister of Foreign Affairs: 1987-1988, 1990-1991, and 1994-1996. He later served as Prime Minister from 5 January 1999 to 26 September 2001.
In early November 2004, Posser da Costa allegedly damaged the office of Attorney General Adelino Pereira in an attack. Pereira said this was due to an investigation regarding embezzlement of aid funds and ordered Posser da Costa's arrest.[2] Due to the alleged attack, Posser da Costa resigned from parliament on 15 February 2005, just before his parliamentary immunity was to be removed.[1] On 18 March 2005, he received a two-year suspended sentence for damaging Pereira's office and "insulting public authority"; he was also required to pay compensation. For his part, Posser da Costa said that Pereira had falsely accused him of being involved in the embezzlement of aid funds, and that he had only been a witness in that case, not a suspect.[3]
At the Fourth Congress of the Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe/Social Democratic Party (MLSTP/PSD), Posser da Costa was elected as President of the MLSTP/PSD on 27 February 2005, succeeding party founder and former President Manuel Pinto da Costa. There were 708 votes in favor of Posser da Costa, who was the only candidate, and three votes against him.[4]
References
- ^ a b "Sao Tome's ex-PM accuses president of "insulting" parliament", Xinhua, February 17, 2005.
- ^ "Sao Tome's ex-PM arrested over alleged embezzlement of aid fund", Xinhua, November 5, 2004.
- ^ "Sao Tome's ex-PM gets suspended sentence for damaging top lawyer's office", Xinhua, March 19, 2005.
- ^ "Election de maréchal pour Guilherme Posser da Costa", Afriquecentrale.info, February 27, 2005. "Archived copy" (in French). Archived from the original on March 20, 2006. Retrieved 2006-03-20..
| Preceded by Fradique de Menezes | Foreign Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 1987–1988 | Succeeded by Carlos da Graça |
| Preceded by Carlos da Graça | Foreign Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 1990–1991 | Succeeded by Alda Bandeira |
| Preceded by Albertino Bragança | Foreign Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 1994–1996 | Succeeded by Homero Jeronimo Salvaterra |
| Preceded by Raul Bragança Neto | Prime Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 1999–2001 | Succeeded by Evaristo Carvalho |