Ovídio Manuel Barbosa Pequeno

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Ovídio Manuel Barbosa Pequeno (born 5 November 1954) is a São Toméan politician. He served as the country's foreign minister from 30 March 2004 until 16 January 2006, when he resigned due to controversy about the spending of aid money (almost half a million dollars) from Morocco. Pequeno denied taking any of the money for himself and said that it had been given directly to the president, Fradique de Menezes, and that he had accordingly spent it on the president's behalf. Prime minister Maria do Carmo Silveira had demanded his resignation,^[1] and Pequeno was accused of disloyalty to the government by spending the money in secret and without the government's authorization.^[2] Menezes argued in Pequeno's defense that the spending was legitimate.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Foreign minister resigns over diversion of foreign aid", IRIN, January 18, 2006.
2. ^ "Sao Tome's government says FM disloyal to cabinet in foreign aid", Xinhua, January 10, 2006.

Preceded by Óscar Sousa

Foreign Minister of São Tomé and Príncipe 2004–2006

Succeeded by Óscar Sousa