Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Kampfumo Municipal District Court, in Maputo, has suspended the hearing of the social activist Adriano Nuvunga, chairperson of a prominent Mozambican NGO, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), who has been accused of defamation, slander and libel by Albino Forquilha, President of PODEMOS (Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique), currently the largest opposition party in the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic.
The case stems from public statements made by Nuvunga, in which he accused Forquilha of receiving 219 million meticais (3.4 million dollars at the current exchange rate) in bribes to accept the fraudulent results of the 2024 general elections. No evidence for this supposed bribe has ever been produced.
The decision to suspend the trial was made by the judge, Chaurina Gaspar, following a complaint filed by Nuvunga’s defence, which alleged irregularities during the investigation phase.
According to the lawyers, the court had rejected the request for a preliminary hearing made by the defence before the start of the trial.
The decision did not please Forquilha, and his lawyer contested the suspension, arguing that, at this stage of the trial, already in a full hearing, there was no legal basis for an interruption.
The judge notified Forquilha’s representative to remedy the supposed irregularity within the legal deadline. As a result, the trial ended its first day without taking evidence from the parties. Depending on the speed of the Appeal Court, the case may take months to resume.
For More News And Analysis About Mozambique Follow Africa-Press
