Maputo, 15 Jun – Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has confirmed to have arrested three individuals for allegedly being involved in the murder of Osório Citora Afonso, bishop of the Diocese of Quelimane, in the central Mozambican province of Zambézia.
According to Domingos Barrone, SERNIC spokesperson in Zambézia, the arrests represent a significant step in efforts to uncover the circumstances behind the bishop’s death.
“The three suspects are currently in custody. Their arrests have been legally validated by the competent judicial authorities”, he said.
Barrone did not mention the names of the arrestees, claiming that “the investigation continues with the aim of fully clarifying the circumstances that led to the death of the religious leader.” However, there are reports that among the arrestees there is a priest.
Bishop Afonso, who was also Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Beira, in the central province of Sofala, was shot dead in the early hours of Saturday at the Episcopal Palace of Quelimane, his official residence.
According to authorities, the Bishop was murdered with an AKM-type firearm. A bullet was found in the victim’s chest, right in the heart.
Am/
