Family of CIP leader files charges with police over intimidation

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Family of CIP leader files charges with police over intimidation

4:01 CAT | 05 Dec 2019

FILE: The CIP director believes that the intimidation, immediately reported by the family to the police, is linked to the organisation's follow-up on the 'hidden debts' case, which involves several powerful political figures, some of whom are currently in detention. [ File photo: Folha de Maputo]

The family of Edson Cortez, leader of Mozambican anti-corruption organisation CIP, has filed a complaint with police after being intimidated by strangers armed with knives who were looking for him, Cortez himself told Lusa News Agency yesterday.

“My brother was accosted by three individuals,” armed with knives in Maputo on Monday, Cortez said.

The group wanted to know where was the director of the Centre of Public Integrity (CIP).

His brother told them that Cortez was out of the country and, after insisting on the question,they stole his mobile phone and fled in a car.

Cortez told Lusa that, at the time of the threat, he and other co-workers were at a ministerial meeting which lasted all morning.

ALSO READ: Condemnation of harassment against anti-corruption campaigner in Mozambique – Transparency International

The CIP director believes that the intimidation, immediately reported by the family to the police, is linked to the organisation’s follow-up on the ‘hidden debts’ case, which involves several powerful political figures, some of whom are currently in detention.

“The only thing we’re dealing with now is the hidden debts. This is because of the hidden debts, I believe,” he said.

In January of this year, the CIP launched a campaign entitled “I Don’t Pay the Debts”, distributing free T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase.

At the time, Fatima Mimbire, a member of the CIP and one of those spearheading the campaign, was the target of threats and intimidation spread through social networks on the Internet.