Maputo, 12 Aug (AIM) – Members of the Mozambican Islamic Community have accused the country’s Intelligence and Security Service (SISE) of favoring political agendas rather than the fight against the kidnappings that have been plaguing the country’s cities.
The accusation was made by a prominent imam, Nazir Lunat, on Friday, at a meeting of the Mozambican Islamic Community, which was attended by high ranking officials from the Justice Ministry and the Mozambican Police (PRM).
The wave of kidnappings in Mozambique has affected especially businesses of Asian origin, including their family members.
According to Lunat, who once had his father kidnapped, the authorities have no interest in shedding light on the kidnappings because senior state officials are involved with the kidnapping gangs.
“SISE doesn’t work for the people, it only works for politics and other issues of its interest. The authorities are not interested in solving the problem. There are high-ranking members of the state involved in these crimes that have plagued the country for more than 10 years”, he said.
“I’m not saying that all elements of the state are involved, but there are some high-ranking officials involved”, he stressed.
Lunat explained that when his father was kidnapped, he was forced to use his political influence to ask for support. He had ties with the ruling Frelimo Party, and was once a Frelimo deputy in the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic.
However, there was no solution and he was forced to pay part of the 10 million meticais (about 150,000 USD dollars at the current exchange rate) that the kidnappers were asking as ransom money.
“I have relationships with high-level government officials. At the time, I contacted the prime minister and he introduced me to the then national commander and a brigade team of between 12 and 28 people was appointed, who came to meet with me every day. After 18 days, I came to the conclusion that I was wasting time”, Lunat said.
He added that when “we made the payment, the next day the Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) contacted us to ask how much had been handed over to the kidnappers.”
SISE’s reputation is in the gutter, not only because of the kidnappings, but because the SISE leadership was deeply involved in the scandal of the “hidden debts”, and took bribes from the Abu Dhabi-based group, Privinvest.
The former general director of SISE, Gregorio Leao, and the head of SISE economic intelligence, Antonio Carlos do Rosario, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms in 2022 because of their role in the scandal.
As of March, the Mozambican police had recorded a total of 185 cases of kidnapping and at least 288 people had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in this type of crime since 2011, according to Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda. But those arrested are all low level operatives, and none of those ordering the kidnappings have been detained.
Another religious association, the Mozambican Muhammadan Community, said recently that it no longer trusts the police since those who have been victims of kidnappings continue to be threatened by their tormentors.
According to the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), over 100 business people and their families have left the country due to the kidnappings.
Over the last week, SERNIC claimed it has identified the masterminds of the kidnappings. It said they are Mozambican nationals who are living in South Africa, but it did not name any of them.
Sernic added that, in order to arrest them, it is working closely with INTERPOL.
The Strategic Analysis Report (RAE), published by the Mozambican Financial Intelligence Office (GIFiM), which is a specialist unit in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, points out that the wave of kidnappings in the country have generated, since 2014, over 33 million dollars in money laundering.
(AIM)
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