Mozambique: What the Ndlavela inmates told the commission of inquiry – Carta

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Mozambique: What the Ndlavela inmates told the commission of inquiry – Carta

4:40 CAT | 09 Jul 2021

File photo: Lusa

The summary of the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the sexual exploitation of inmates in the Special Penitentiary for Women in Maputo alleged by the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) on the 15th of June became available on Wednesday evening (7 July). [You may read, download the document, in Portuguese, HERE]

Although the Commission of Inquiry concluded that there were no sexual exploitation schemes in the prison, the report reveals shocking incidents that could contribute to the opening of criminal cases.

It reports, for example, cases of prison officers who abused inmates in exchange for food, and drug trafficking by prison guards in exchange for sex. It also details parties with meat, alcoholic beverages and sex on the menu.

Carta de Moçambique has transcribed testimony given by inmates to the Commission of Inquiry. The testimonies (below) are taken verbatim from the Inquiry summary report and have not been edited or censored.

According to the document presented by Elisa Boerkamp, an official of the Ministry of Justice and Rapporteur of the Commission, one of the inmates said the following.

“What happened here are those daughters of Chief A1 who got involved with the men who entered here, which were introduced [inside the prison] by Chief A1. They would meet them at the large sewing, there was a mattress there and a stove that they used for cooking. They [the inmates] left in the morning and did not return until closing time [of the cells].

“As we are on this side, we didn’t see what was happening on the other side, they could even leave without us seeing it. We can only see the large sewing because from our enclosure it is possible to see the movements. The daughters of Chief A1 were the only ones who were not prohibited from leaving the premises, they left when they wanted. They could walk this entire jail without anyone scolding or forbidding them.

“There was a girl who was invited every day by Chief A1… but this one left [prison] on 06.21.2021…”

Another inmate told the following story.

“Chief “A2” [inmate-head of the precinct] would choose some girls of her preference on weekends and holidays, to the large sewing room, where men came from outside the establishment in three cars to participate in parties that happened inside the EP, and there the things happened…”

Another said: “Every weekend and holidays people came, brought drinks, meats and made braais. When the time came for the “appetites”, they left the cell prepared. The men gave money to Chief A1…”.

The Commission of Inquiry cites other inmates as follows.

“It is difficult to say whether or not they left [the prison, for the alleged practice of sexual exploitation], because we saw them leaving, and it was normal to leave at 8:00 and return at 16:00. It could even happen, but the person will never say what happened… Sometimes, someone would get sick or pretend to be sick or that was arranged, suddenly they would be called and left and only came back very late, maybe they would go to these things or not, we cannot know. But that there are constant departures both during the day [and at night], that is true.”

“I think there are some excesses in the CIP investigation, because things did not happen as they said, because everything happened here inside [the enclosure]. If they got to leave to go out of the establishment, then it was very secret…,” declared another inmate, according to the report.

Source: Carta de Moçambique