Two Engineers Detained in Equatorial Guinea Released After Presidential Pardon

Two SBM Offshore engineers, Frik Potgieter and Peter Huxham of South Africa, have finally returned home after more than two years of being detained in Equatorial Guinea. The engineers were arrested in February 2023 on drug trafficking charges while working on oil and gas vessels for the Dutch floater expert in the country.

Despite no evidence found in sealed, combination-locked luggage, a trial in June of the same year resulted in the engineers being sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay $5 million each in damages. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention intervened in July 2024, calling for their immediate release.

During their time in prison in Mongomo, a facility reserved for political prisoners, their families launched a campaign for their release, appealing for clemency and seeking intervention from the South African government. After a long and arduous process, the engineers were finally granted a presidential pardon and allowed to return home.

The families expressed their gratitude to SBM Offshore, the South African and British governments, as well as diplomatic partners, legal teams, and civil organizations that played a role in securing the engineers’ release.

Just a few weeks prior to the engineers’ return, SBM Offshore announced its divestment from Equatorial Guinea by selling its equity interest in the lease and operating entities of the FPSO Aseng to GEPetrol. This marks the company’s formal exit from the country following a 12-month operational transition phase.