Maputo, 24 Oct (AIM) – Unknown assailants on Thursday evening shot dead a senior police officer in Matola Gare neighbourhood, in the southern Mozambican city of Matola.
The murdered officer was Leonor Célia Inguane, who held the rank of Superintendent of the Mozambican Police (PRM). She was also the Police Commander in Marracuene District, about 30 kilometres north of Maputo city.
The victim was shot at around 18.00 inside a double-cabin vehicle. Shortly after the murder, the fact that a police officer had been killed was all over Mozambican social media.
The Police has confirmed the case, claiming that “Inguane, with the rank of chief superintendent of police, was killed by individuals traveling in a Toyota Hilux vehicle, who intercepted the red Mahindra vehicle, registration plate ALB 072 MC, in which the victim was being transported”.
The Police guaranteed that it is now working in order “to identify, arrest and bring to justice the criminals.”
This assassination took place in much the same place as the murder, on 12 June, of police superintendent Carlos Zandamela, of the
Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR – the Mozambican riot police).
Also on Thursday Mozambican Interior Minister Paulo Chachine promised that the PRM are working intensively to rescue Portuguese businessman Francisco Casqiuinha, who was kidnapped on 7 October in downtown Maputo.
The victim owns a company called NBC, which sells car accessories, motorcycles and other vehicles. He was abducted while he was trying to enter the NBC premises located on Zedequias Manganhela Avenue in central Maputo.
According to the minister, who was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony in which he swore into office new commissioned officers in Maputo, the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) is working to clarify the case.
“At the appropriate time, when we have the case clarified, then we will discuss everything, who the detainees are, how many were detained”, he said.
According to the Strategic Analysis Report (RAE), published by the Mozambican Financial Intelligence Office (GIFiM), the wave of kidnappings has generated, since 2014, over 33 million dollars in money laundering.
(AIM)
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