Maputo, 17 Apr (AIM) – Mozambique’s Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (GCCC), in coordination with the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), on Thursday detained seven officials from the Finance Ministry for alleged involvement in corruption schemes.
The officials were detained as part of investigations into bribery in public procurement and the supply of goods. They were allegedly involved in the payment of illicit commissions. The detentions took place in a surprise operation at the Finance Ministry’s headquarters.
Last December, officials from the same institution were detained, accused of involvement in schemes involving commissions for VAT (Value Added Tax) refunds and the payment of state debts to suppliers of goods and services.
The practice of demanding “kickbacks” to speed up payments to suppliers has been one of the main focuses of investigations by Mozambican authorities in recent months.
So far, the government has not officially commented on these detentions. However, it is known that the authorities are continuing to carry out further inquiries on the ground to trace the flow of diverted funds.
Further detentions took place at CEDSIF (Centre for Development of Financial Information Systems). Although their names have not yet been released, sources close to the case told reporters that those detained includes members of the CEDSIF Board of Directors.
CEDSIF occupies a strategic position in managing the computer systems that control Mozambican public finance.
(AIM)
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