Africa-Press – Mozambique. The trial of the former Minister of Labour, Maria Helena Taipo, and 11 other defendants allegedly involved in the misuse of funds from the National Institute of Social Security (INSS) and the Ministry of Labour, begins next Monday, March 14.
The case will be tried by the 8th Section of the Judicial Court of the City of Maputo, in a case brought by the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (GCCC), related to the alleged misuse of 113 million meticais (around US$1.7 million at current exchange rates) from the Ministry of Labour’s Directorate of Migrant Labour, between 2010 and 2014.
Twelve defendants are charged with embezzlement, abuse of trust, economic participation in business, falsification of documents and falsification by illicit use of legitimate instruments.
In addition to Taipo, the indictment list includes Anastácio Zita, who was director of the unit; José António Monjane, former head of the Finance Department; Pedro Taimo, former coordinator of the mining workers project at the Directorate of Migrant Labour; Sidónio dos Anjos, at the time assigned to the office of the former Minister of Labour; Hermenegildo Nhatave; Baltazar Teófilo Mungoi; Elsa Maria Jonas; Alfredo Lucas; Desheng Zhang Zhang; Dalila Zubaida Lalgy; and Issufo Francisco Massona.
The embezzled money, which the prosecution will allege was used to buy vehicles, real estate, food and alcoholic beverages, was abstracted from the contributions of Mozambican miners working in South Africa.
The various activities carried out by the defendants allegedly harmed the Mozambican state to the tune of 113,608,802.79 meticais.
Helena Taipo was freed on her own recognizance in May 2021, after two years in pre-trial detention and a favourable habeas corpus ruling, subject only to ‘termo de identidade e residência’ – an identity and residency report / guarantee as the result of court order regarding whereabouts at all times. She had been detained since April 2019.
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