Italian businessman died as result of health complication, claims Interior Minister

talian businessman died as result of health complication, claims Interior Minister

Maputo, 18 May (AIM) – The Mozambican Interior Minister, Paulo Chachine, claims that Umberto Sartori, the Italian businessman who had been arrested last April died as result of health complication and a self-imposed hunger strike.

Sartori, who owned the Maputo beachfront hotel and restaurant, Kaya-Kwanga, was found dead on the floor at Maputo Top Security prison (colloquially known as B.O). He had been arrested with three other individuals, accused of drug trafficking, money laundering and forgery.

According to the minister, speaking on Sunday, in Maputo, on the sidelines of the ceremony marking the 51st anniversary of PRM, celebrated on May17, Sartori was not eating while he was facing health problems.

“It is known and was public knowledge that Humberto Sartoni went to jail. He wasn’t eating, he was carrying out a hunger strike. When he decided to eat, he was already weakened while facing health problems”, he said.

“If someone has serious health problems, as he appeared to have, we must expect the consequences. It means that his death is related to that”, he added.

According to the country’s National Prison Service (SERNAP), during his first days in prison, Sartori refused to eat “and this hunger strike situation was already known to the family, the lawyer, and the private doctor, and was reported to the prison authorities as soon as the behavior was noticed.”

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