Mozambique | ‘Valter Danone case’: Chimoio court acquits producer of satirical video – Watch

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique | ‘Valter Danone case’: Chimoio court acquits producer of satirical video – Watch

3:13 CAT | 08 Feb 2023

Screen grab: VOA Portugues

The Judicial Court of Chimoio in central Mozambique on Tuesday acquitted Valter Danone, the uncle of one of the three children in a video satirizing the traffic police, which he produced and which ‘went viral’.

“The first Criminal Section decides to acquit the defendant Denilson Daniel for insufficient evidence,” Judge Lúcio Ticha announced.

The case sparked controversy when, in December, prosecutor Belmira Sitoe said there was evidence of “defamation” of the police due to the use of “pejorative expressions” by the children.

READ: Children playing corrupt police sparks Mozambique fallout – BBC

The Union of Journalists and other public figures repudiated the Public Prosecutor’s position as acting against a humorous act of freedom of expression.

One of the children, who was already known on social media for starring in other satirical videos, is the granddaughter of a journalist.

The defamation charge was therefore dropped. The court also yesterday considered the alleged exposing to danger of the children during the filming not to have been proven.

READ: Mozambique: Chimoio Public Prosecutor clarifies charges concerning satirical video

The judge argued that this “requires that there be a demonstration of danger, which was not the case”, and the producer never wished any harm on the alleged victim, in this case, the child driver in the humorous video.

The Union of Journalists reacted by saying that acquittal was the most sensible measure to be taken by the court.

“We are satisfied, because we managed to find ways to avoid injustice,” said Victor Machirica, provincial secretary of the union in Manica, before announcing an initiative to educate magistrates on the subject of satirical videos.

“The SNJ intends to promote a seminar to train public prosecutors so that henceforth they will not get involved in injustices like this,” he said.

The sentence was read after trial sessions in November and December, 2022, and many high profile Mozambicans took to social media to congratulate Judge Lúcio Ticha on the verdict.

Watch .