
Maputo, 19 Aug (AIM) – Venancio Mondlane, the independent candidate in Mozambique’s presidential election, scheduled for 9 October, has claimed that an attempt was made to assassinate him on Sunday in Quissico, capital of Zavala district, in the southern province of Inhambane.
According to Mondlane, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, the assassination attempt took place during a march he led as part of his pre-campaign for the Presidential Election.
“The assassination attempt on the presidential candidate was carried out by a police officer, with the rank of probationary guard, who infiltrated the march in plain clothes”, he said.
A pistol, with 15 rounds of ammunition, was found on his person.
The police officer, named Hélder Cossa, was identified by Mondlane’s Provincial Delegate, after he was noticed trying to infiltrate his security line.
“This policeman, throughout the march, was pushing the Provincial Delegate who was protecting Venâncio Mondlane’s back. The accused, as well as pushing the delegate, was kicking his feet. The delegate asked him again and again why he was pushing and kicking him”, reads Mondlane’s statement.
“The officer, who later identified himself as a ‘special policeman’, responded with threats, saying: don’t ask me questions. Don’t try to find out anything”, added the note.
According to the note, the officer tried to break through the security cordon, which led Venâncio Mondlane’s team to immobilize him.
“Once the gun was in the delegation’s possession and the police agent who wanted to carry out the attack had been neutralized, an hour later a police contingent appeared with a superior officer asking for the gun back. Venâncio Mondlane and some of his delegation’s security staff refused to hand over the weapon at the scene, saying that they would do so at the District Command or at the nearby police station”, Mondlane’s statement said.
The case was then referred first to the police and then to the Zavala District Prosecutor’s Office for criminal proceedings. However, the arrested agent fled from the police District Command where he was being detained.
(AIM)
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