Mozambique: Fight against kidnappings undermined by “infiltrated” – PGR

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Mozambique: Fight against kidnappings undermined by “infiltrated” – PGR

7:37 CAT | 29 Apr 2021

File photo: Noticias

The Attorney General of the Republic (PGR) of Mozambique, Beatriz Buchili, admitted that the “infiltration” of the institutions of justice by criminal organisations and the weaknesses in the investigation are among the obstacles in the fight against kidnapping.

In addition to other hurdles, “there is the fact that the crime of kidnapping is part of organised crime, which tends to infiltrate the institutions of the administration of justice and others which intervene in preventing and combating it, to ensure its own impunity”, Buchili said.

The PGR addresses kidnapping in one of the chapters of the report on legal oversight in 2020 that Beatriz Buchili is presenting this Wednesday and Thursday in the Assembly of the Republic.

“We recognize the need for an in-depth internal exercise aimed, on the one hand, at identifying and expunging those who associate with criminals and, on the other hand, at improving the criteria for selecting candidates to join the ranks of judicial institutions and others relevant to the prevention and fight against crime, namely financial institutions and mobile telephone and Internet providers,” reads the report.

On the other hand, it continues, the collaboration of victims, witnesses and other citizens is essential for the swift clarification of cases.

“We cannot continue to experience situations of lack of cooperation from citizens in investigating crimes such as abductions, homicides and corruption, [situations] which in some cases stem from the inappropriate behaviour of some professionals, calling into question the credibility of institutions,” Buchili said.

The National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) must be equipped with technological means equal in sophistication to the resources used by criminal organizations specialising in kidnapping.

Beatriz Buchili defended the ratification by Mozambique of treaties on the prevention and fight against cybercrime, pointing out that abductions are frequently facilitated using digital platforms.

“Ransom payments have been made through transactions outside the country, using various fraudulent mechanisms. It happens, however, that the providers of these electronic platforms are not domiciled nor do they have representations in the country,” the head of the Mozambican Public Prosecution Service noted.

Buchili calls on communities to cooperate in reporting kidnapping cases, emphasising that the place of captivity is usually a house rented to the perpetrators of this type of crime from persons who reside in the neighbourhoods.

“The residences that serve as [places of] captivity are usually rented in advance in consultation with members of the community who provide support to the criminals, providing meals and maintaining the hygiene of the place, in total disregard of the norms of a healthy society,” Buchili emphasises in the text.

The information provided by the Attorney General of the Republic states that, in 2020, 18 criminal cases for kidnapping were opened, against 15 in 2019, an increase of 20%.

“In all cases, the agents were driven by the excessive ambition of obtaining monetary values. Their actions resulted in the placing of victims in captivity and the intimidation of their relatives for the payment of ransom, causing panic within the families, and social and business insecurity,” her report adds.

Although the report that Beatriz Buchili is presenting in parliament does not refer to the kidnappings that occurred this year, several people, mainly businessmen or their relatives, have already been victims of this type of crime in some cities in the country in 2021.

In a recent interview with Lusa, the president of Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), the largest employers’ association in the country, Agostinho Vuma, said that kidnappings targeting entrepreneurs and their relatives are a negative feature of the country’s business environment.

Source: Lusa