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Mozambique: Former INGD delegate sentenced to eight years in prison for embezzlement of goods belonging to the victims of “Fredy”
1:29 CAT | 09 Apr 2024
File photo: O Pais
The Judicial Court of the City of Lichinga sentenced Friday Taibo, the former provincial delegate of the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD) in Niassa, to eight years of effective imprisonment for the diversion of food and other goods intended for victims of Cyclone Freddy.
The court also sentenced Ângelo Júnior, the owner of the residence where the products were diverted, to seven years in prison, and Fausto Jafar, the truck driver, to six years.
The case dates back to April 2023 when the Mozambican Republic Police in Niassa announced the arrest of the INGD delegate, along with accomplices unloading products worth 738,000 Meticais at a residence in Lichinga for subsequent sale in neighboring Malawi.
The presiding judge, Januário Paticene, concluded that this was a crime with serious consequences, stating that the province was dealing with a natural disaster affecting approximately 16,000 people, resulting in five deaths and seven serious injuries.
Paticene noted that the defendants “acted in a cold, calculating manner and showed no signs of remorse during the trial,” adding that they “did not confess to the crime and hindered the discovery of the truth, demonstrating insensitivity.”
Furthermore, the defendants “demonstrated an intention to obstruct the investigations by attempting to cover up the crime.” The judge also believes that the accused “took advantage of their provisional release to forge evidence to distract the court in the quest for truth.”
As a result, the three convicts will jointly indemnify the State for the amount of 738,138.00 Meticais for pecuniary damages. Friday Taibo and Ângelo Júnior will each pay 258,348.00 Meticais, while Fausto Jafar must indemnify the State with 222,238.00 Meticais.
In addition to the eight-year sentence, Friday Taibo, who held the position for less than a year, was also fined a daily rate equivalent to 10 percent of the national minimum wage for 12 months. Danilo Tiago, representing the Public Ministry, expressed satisfaction with the imposed sentences. The defense chose not to comment.
Two months before the crime, the Center of Public Integrity (CIP) revealed the national incapacity in responding to humanitarian emergencies, particularly involving the National Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction (INGD).
The CIP’s investigation found significant evidence of corruption in the management of funds intended to support disaster victims in the country.
Source: O Pais
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