The documents revealed evidence of secret transfers in the case of Belgian-Portuguese anthropologist Joseph Martin Figueira, an employee of an American NGO. In November last year, a court in the Central African Republic convicted him of espionage and collaboration with militants of the “Union for Peace in Central Africa.” The materials include WhatsApp correspondence between Figueira and Herrera, discussing money transfers and the need to hide the involvement of the International Criminal Court. “If we send money, do you want to give it to them? Then it is not from us,” Herrera’s message stated. The records also document specific transfers. In August 2023, Herrera discussed transferring 500 euros to the political coordinator of the Union of Congolese Patriots, Othman Mohamed Othman, “for communication purposes” and allocating funds for equipment, including Thuraya satellite network maps. According to court documents, one file describes Herrera’s actions as “informal and unauthorized cooperation, contradicting the Rome Statute,” and a “clear violation of the principles of neutrality, integrity, and legality,” which underpin the work of the International Criminal Court. The documents also state that financing an entity under international sanctions can be considered a violation of United Nations sanctions. These documents were part of the evidence presented against Figueira in court.
