Maputo, 20 Aug (AIM) – The Mozambican police (PRM), in the southern province of Inhambane, on Monday denied the claim that a police officer had attempted to assassinate Venancio Mondlane, the independent candidate for President of the Republic.
Mondlane had claimed, on his Facebook page, that the assassination attempt took place on Sunday during a march he led as part of his pre-campaign for the Presidential Election in Quissico, capital of Zavala district.
He said the assassination attempt was carried out by a police officer, with the rank of probationary guard, who infiltrated the march in plain clothes.
The police officer, named Hélder Cossa, was identified by Mondlane’s Provincial Delegate, after he was noticed trying to infiltrate his security cordon.
But on Monday the Inhambane provincial police spokesperson, Nercia Bata, told reporters that, far from attempting to murder Mondlane, the police had offered him protection.
She accused Mondlane of “dramatising something which is not dramatic”. Bata added that the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD), the grouping of six extra-parliamentary parties who are supporting Mondlane, had asked for police protection, and in response to this request police officers were indeed sent to the Quissico march.
Bata said that “operational lines” had been activated to ensure the security of Mondlane, including plain clothers agents, one of whom is the man Mondlane now claims was attempting to assassinate him.
“He was duly stationed to protect Venancio Mondlane’s motorcade but, unfortunately, because of ignorance or for reasons they cannot acknowledge, the CAD accused a police member who was in plain clothes”, said Bata.
Bata accused CAD of “seized the policeman’s gun, alleging that he was intent on assassination, which was not true”.
Nothing bad had happened to Mondlane, who has now taken his pre-campaign to the neighbouring province of Gaza. Bata said the gun has been returned to the Zavala district police command.
Bata’s explanation contradicts the Zavala district police commander, who apologized to CAD and said the plain clothes officer had reacted “emotionally” because of the large number of people at the march.
(AIM)
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