The debate session on the Public Ministry's request to seize the assets of the 19 defendants in the main case of Hidden Debts is scheduled to begin at 10am today.

The session that is already going to walk, was postponed twice, and will take place after the Maputo Superior Court of Appeal decided to keep judge Efigénio Baptista in front of the debate.

The court's decision follows an appeal filed by some defense attorneys, on the grounds that the judge could not rule on the seizure of assets, while a request for the magistrate's removal is pending, to be analyzed by the Supreme Court.

The lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court after being removed by Efigénio Baptista from the trial of the hidden debts case, one of them for having been made a declarant in the middle of the discussion and production of evidence hearing, who ended up not appearing and was subject to a search warrant, and the other two for conduct considered improper by the judge.

In the closing arguments of the trial that began last year, the prosecution asked the court for the maximum penalty for eight of the 19 defendants, close to the maximum penalty for 10 defendants, and the acquittal of only one defendant.

The prosecution also asked the court to order the defendants to pay damages of $2.7 billion, corresponding to the total Hidden Debts, plus interest of $850.5 billion, calculated until 2019.