Mozambique: Police search Renamo deputy’s house, says Savana – AIM report

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Mozambique: Police search Renamo deputy’s house, says Savana – AIM report

8:28 CAT | 24 Aug 2020

File photo: Magazine Indepdente

Mozambique’s National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has searched the home of Ivone Soares, a prominent parliamentary deputy for the main opposition party, Renamo, reports the latest issue of the independent weekly “Savana”.

The paper said that the search of the house, in the southern city of Matola, took place on 9 July, but only now has it been reported in any of the Mozambican media.

Soares used to be head of the Renamo parliamentary group, but lost that position after the general elections of October 2019. She is the niece of the late leader of Renamo, Afonso Dhlakama, and is chairperson of the Renamo Youth League.

According to “Savana”, the search was carried out by five SERNIC officers, implementing a search warrant issued by the Maputo City Court (even though the house is in Maputo province, and thus under the jurisdiction of the Maputo provincial court, not the city court). A further 15 SERNIC officers surrounded the house.

The warrant said that Soares is accused of the crime of conspiracy against state security. The SERNIC agents, who said they were carrying out “orders from above” were looking for documents and other evidence that might substantiate the charge against her.

“Savana” said it also discovered that SERNIC was searching for any guns that might be in the house.

The search culminated in the confiscation of computers, mobile phones, cameras, notebooks and the passports of Soares and her husband. She had three passports – a normal passport, a diplomatic passport and a passport granted to her in her capacity as a member of the Pan-African parliament. The SERNIC team also wanted to confiscate the passports of her children, but changed their minds when her lawyer, Simeao Cuamba, asked whether they were not “going too far”.

Last January, Soares was questioned by one of the assistant attorney-generals, Amabelia Chuquela, about her alleged financial support for the dissident Renamo faction, calling itself the Renamo Military Junta, which has been responsible for a string of ambushes on main roads in the central provinces of Manica and Sofala.

Also interrogated were the Renamo national spokesperson, Jose Manteigas, former Renamo General Secretary Manuel Bissopo, and outspoken Renamo parliamentarian, Antonio Muchanga. No attempt was subsequently made to arrest any of them, and no request has been made to lift their parliamentary immunity.

“Savana” says it learnt that the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, was informed of the search of Soares’ house, but has not reacted.

It is not clear who ordered the search. Cuamba told “Savana” he had contacted the Attorney-General’s Office, which said it knew nothing about the operation.

No doubt the search is connected with the trial in the central town of Dondo of six people accused of conspiracy against the state through their alleged support for the Renamo Military Junta. One of them is a former Renamo deputy Sandura Ambrosio. All of them have denied any connection with the Military Junta.

Source: AIM