Vilanculos murder: Defendant sentenced to 22 years in prison

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Vilanculos murder: Defendant sentenced to 22 years in prison

3:09 CAT | 10 Sep 2019

File photo: O País

The 4th Section of the Maputo Superior Court of Appeal (TSR) sentenced the defendant Edith António D’compta de Câmara Cylindo to 22 years in prison for her participation in the crime that claimed the life of public prosecutor Marcelino Vilanculos on 11 April. 2016

The defendant was also ordered to pay the maximum fine, plus 500,000 meticais in compensation to the victim’s family for non-material damages.

The TSR’s decision comes after the public prosecutor appealed against the ruling by the 5th Section of the Judicial Court of Maputo Province acquitting the defendant for insufficient evidence.

The judge of the case was of the opinion that the defendant’s confession of her involvement in the crime had been forced, and she was then acquitted.

Disagreeing with the ruling, the public prosecutor appealed the decision and won the case, and the TSR declared the first decision void because, in its view, the confession was made as a result of extracts from telephone calls made between the defendant and the masterminds of the plot, who saw the Vilanculos as an obstacle to their planned kidnappings.

Cylindo was convicted of committing, in moral and material co-authorship, a crime of qualified murder and another of association to delinquency.

The ruling points out that the defendant was condemned for joining a group which, acting in joint efforts, ideals and division of tasks, determined to take the life of a magistrate, which had indeed been accomplished.

Her conduct, according to the ruling, directly contributed to making possible and facilitating the murder, her having participated in both its preparatory and enforcement acts.

Events unfolded in 2016, when she joined the group led by José Ali Coutinho, who outlined the plan that would culminate in the assassination of public prosecutor Marcelino Vilanculos. At the time, the magistrate was responsible for a case in which Ali Coutinho was accused of kidnapping.

Ali Coutinho hired Edith Cylindo, with whom he collaborated to identify, track, provide photographic images and financial information about people to kidnap in Maputo. It was the defendant’s mission to identify, follow and get to know the itinerary and routine of the magistrate, who, she established, worked in the 6th Section of the Judicial Court of Maputo City and drove a white Mercedes-Benz car.

For providing this information, she would receive 500,000 meticais.

The prosecutor was killed by shots from an AK-47 firearm.

Source: Folha de Maputo