Armed attacks: 23 adults and one minor handed prison sentences in Cabo Delgado – report

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Armed attacks: 23 adults and one minor handed prison sentences in Cabo Delgado – report

1:17 CAT | 05 Jun 2019

Photo: O País

Twenty-four defendants in the Cabo Delgado armed attacks case were handed sentences, ranging from 12 to 16 years in prison yesterday (Tuesday, June 4).

This is case 99/2018, the second related to the armed attacks to be tried by the Judicial Court of the province of Cabo Delgado.

Of the 32 indicted, the court sentenced 23 adult defendants to 16 years in prison and one under-age defendant to a 12-year sentence. The court acquitted eight defendants, five of them for lack of evidence and three because they had died while awaiting the outcome of the trial.

According to the judge in the case, Geraldo Patrício, it was proved at trial that those convicted had committed the crimes of qualified homicide, use of prohibited weapons, association to commit crime, instigation or provocation to collective disobedience and conspiracy to commit crime.

Since armed attacks began in Cabo Delgado in October 2017, the province’s Judicial Court has conducted two criminal cases related to them, convicting 57 of the 221 defendants indicted by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

In the first two trials, 10 of those indicted were sentenced to 40 years imprisonment, 47 to 16 years and 4 to 12 years, The court acquitted 121 defendants for lack of sufficient evidence.

Four other trials related to the armed attacks, involving about 50 defendants, do not yet have an official starting date.

By Hizidine Achá

Source: O País