Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Nampula Provincial Court in northern Mozambique has confirmed the opening of a criminal case against eight individuals, most of them members of the police force, who were allegedly involved in the theft of 56 kilos of gold in the Nampula district of Mogovolas district.
In addition to gold, the individuals also robbed 900 grams of tourmaline and mobile phones. All these goods belonged to a foreign citizen, whose nationality was not revealed.
According to Víctor Vilanculo, spokesperson for the Nampula Provincial Court, who was speaking to reporters on Friday, eight individuals carried out the robbery, including six police officers.
“They were armed with three firearms, including an AK-47 rifle and two pistols. They attacked the citizen and took his minerals – we’re talking about gold and other minerals – and then they fled”, he said.
One of the police officers involved is a police commander in Mogovolas district. The suspects were arrested on 9 July and questioned at the First Police Precinct in Nampula city the following day, but surprisingly ended up being released while the investigation was ongoing.
According to Vilanculo, the authorities are still working to fully clarify the case, but “some of the accused are on provisional release, under an Identity and Residence Agreement, despite the fact that the Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested their pre-trial detention.”
Recently, in Mogovolas district, in the Luluti administrative post, there were tensions involving informal prospectors, who vandalized the property of foreign citizens, many of whom are involved in mining and in the trade of minerals.
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