Anti-Corruption Office in Mozambique urges parliament to approve new law to recover assets

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Anti-Corruption Office in Mozambique urges parliament to approve new law to recover assets

12:03 CAT | 25 May 2018

Mozambique’s Central Anti-Corruption Office (GCCC) on Wednesday urged parliament to approve a new asset recovery law to recover assets in corruption cases.

“We need to move forward now to pass this law, so that the fight against corruption is really effective,” GCCC Director-General Ana Gemo told a seminar on corruption which formed part of Africa Day celebrations, marked today under the motto “Winning the fight against corruption: a sustainable path to transform Africa”.

The law on asset recovery was on the parliamentary agenda, but was squeezed out by the debate over the constitutional amendment, according to a Ministry of Justice, Constitutional and Religious Affairs source.

In 2017, of the 610 million meticais (EUR 8 million) lost to corruption, the country managed to recover 40 million meticais (EUR 570 thousand), mostly in property valued at 23 million meticais.

“It is true that this legislation may not be enough to solve the problem, but it will be a strong contribution to the fight,” Gemo added.

Gemo also said that the fight against corruption could not only be prosecuted repressively, but that is was also necessary for the organs of justice to start addressing prevention with “basic actions”.

“Curriculum content to be taught in primary schools is being prepared in partnership with the Ministry of Education,” she added.

The GCCC registered 1,059 criminal cases in 2017, with 122 filed, and prosecuted 695. Maputo province in the south, Nampula in the north and Sofala in the centre of the country recorded the most corruption cases in 2017.

Source: Lusa