Corruption: go after those at the top – Joseph Hanlon

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Corruption: go after those at the top – Joseph Hanlon

8:44 CAT | 24 Oct 2017

Corruption has dominated President Filipe Nyusi’s speeches for the past two months, but, as in the past, he concentrates on middle and low level administrative corruption, comments CIP (Centro de Integridade Publica, Public Integrity Centre) in a statement issued 17 October. There are no plans to go after ministers or senior elected officials, which was exactly what happened in the 2006-10 anti-corruption campaign. Nor does any pay attention to private sector corruption. https://www.cipmoz.org/images/Documentos/Anti-Corrupcao/Discurso_Anticorrupcao_de_Nyusi.pdf

In particular, CIP argues that Carlos Mesquita, transport minister and close friend and advisor to the president, should be dismissed for signing a contract with a ports company, Cornelder, run by his brother, and for signing an earlier contract with a his own trucking company, Transportes Mesquita.(O Pais 18 Oct)

The Cornelder contract is smaller than originally reported, and relates only to coastal shipping. In order to promote coastal shipping, Cornelder agreed to a 40-60% cut in the prices it charges for coastal shipping – in effect a subsidy. The Attorney General said the contract should be rescinded as it violated the public probity law, because at the time Mesquita’s brother was head of Cornelder-Mozambique. It has been agreed that the contract will be resubmitted and signed by someone other than the minister. The other case involved, a contract to transport goods for the National Emergencies Institute (Instituto Nacional de Gestao de Calamidades, INGC) which is part of his ministry, at a time when he claims there was a shortage of transport available in the centre of the country.

Comment: Clearly Mesquita violated the law when he signed contracts with family companies, and these contract should have been vetted and signed by someone else. But the case raises a broader (Trump) question. If we are to allow business people to hold high office, can they use their influence and contacts to negotiate a better deal for the government? Is this corruption, and how is it to be regulated? jh

Corruption cases in Zambezia prosecuted in the first nine months of the year involved $6.6 mn, according to the provincial attorney general’s office.

Investigations continue into the fire at the medicines warehouse in Chimoio which destroyed $3.3 mn of medicines the day before a stock check was to be conducted. (AIM Pt 13 Oct)

By Joseph Hanlon

Source: News reports & clippings