Zambezia Education Director accused of swindling the state- AIM

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Zambezia Education Director accused of swindling the state- AIM

7:52 CAT | 12 Jun 2017

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The Public Prosecutor’s Office has charged the Director of Education and Human Development in the central Mozambican Province of Zambezia, Armindo Primeiro, of stealing three million meticais (about 50,000 US dollars) from the Mozambican state, reports Radio Mozambique.

Primeiro is accused of a swindle whereby a contractor was paid in full for a job that was never even begun.

The scandal dates back to 2014, when Primeiro was Provincial Director of Education and culture. His directorate, without any public tender, awarded the contract for rehabilitating the “House of Culture” in the Zambezia district of Chinde to a local contractor.

According to prosecutors, the entire sum was paid to the contractor, and the directorate claimed the job had been completed. However, it had not even started, and the Chinde House of Culture is still awaiting rehabilitation.

The public prosecutor is charging Primeiro with illicit participation in business and abuse of his office. Five of his staff in the directorate are also charged, as is the contractor – but he has disappeared.

The interim provincial chief attorney, Amancio Zimba, confirmed the charges to reporters last Wednesday, and said the case has now been remitted for trial to the Zambezia Provincial Court.

The Zambezia delegation of Radio Mozambique contacted Primeiro, but he refused to make any statement about the case.

Source: AIM