The arrest occurred hours after information circulated on social media that an Interpol team had been in São Tomé to capture the counselor. The counselor, of Swedish nationality, was arrested on the island of Príncipe.
A man of Swedish nationality, wanted by Interpol and who held a diplomatic passport as a special advisor to the São Tomé President, Carlos Vila Nova, was detained by the São Tomé Judicial Police, on the island of Príncipe, a judicial source told Lusa this Monday.
According to the source, the man was detained on Sunday, in a hotel on the island of Príncipe.
The arrest occurred hours after information circulated on social media that an Interpol team had been in São Tomé to capture the counselor, which the judicial source denied, ensuring that there is an Interpol brigade that works in the São Tomé PJ and that coordinated the detention.
The Presidency of the Republic also reacted through a statement published on Facebook.
“On a date subsequent to the appointment of a specific individual as Special Advisor to the President of the Republic, the Presidency of the Republic was informed by him that a judicial process was taking place in a foreign country that was strictly personal and completely unrelated to the functions he performed with the Presidency, in which his name was mentioned”, reads the statement.
The note also says that, following this information, “the President of the Republic decided to dismiss the individual in question from the duties of Special Advisor, which he did through Presidential Decree no. 06/2026, of February 4th”.
According to a photo of his diplomatic passport circulating on social media, the man’s name is Carlsson Stig Karl-Magnus, he was born on January 0, 1964 and has Swedish nationality.
The diplomatic passport has an issue date of December 5, 2025 and is valid until December 4, 2030.
The São Tomé PJ promised to provide official information on the matter throughout the day, after forwarding the process in coordination with Interpol.
It’s not a unique case
In April 2022, in a similar situation, the President of São Tomé dismissed a special advisor, of German nationality, in light of news of his alleged involvement in influence peddling.
At the time, the São Tomé head of state justified the decision with the need to “protect the external image” of São Tomé and Príncipe in light of the news that indicated that the exoneree was “under the investigation process”.
Stephan Welk had been appointed on January 27 of the same year, to provide “specialized technical information” to Carlos Vila Nova, within the scope of international relations, to allow him, “in consultation with the Government, to find plausible mechanisms that enable the search for better solutions for the country’s socioeconomic development”, according to the presidential decree of appointment.
