Evidence wa ka Ngobeni
The Mozambican public prosecuting authorities on Tuesday charged six people for the assassination of Carlos Cardoso, the editor of the independent newssheet, Metical.
The six, who include businessman Ayob Abdul Satar and former bank manager Vicente Ramaya, were arrested following a six-month investigation.
According to the prosecution Satar and Ramaya, former manager of the Commercial Bank of Mozambique (BCM), from which 114-billion meticais ($14-million) was stolen in 1996, ordered the assassination.
Cardoso, Mozambique’s foremost investigative journalist and bravest anti-corruption campaigner, was assassinated last November.
Police and eyewitnesses reported that the assassination was well-planned and involved at least two vehicles and an unspecified number of gunmen.
Cardoso was hit at least five times in the crossfire from his attackers’ AK-47 assault rifles and died instantly. His driver, Carlos Fabiao, was critically injured.
Cardoso was cornered 500m from the offices of his investigative fax publication, Metical, in Maputo’s plush suburb of Polana.
A week before his killing he publicly criticised militant hardliners in Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo and opposition Renamo parties for helping instigate nationwide riots that left 41 dead and more than 200 injured.
Months before his death he spearheaded Metical’s series of exposs into the plunder of the formerly state-owned BCM by corrupt officials.
Cardoso had tenaciously followed the story of the BCM theft and had vigorously championed efforts to bring the culprits to justice. He had published in Metical the names of prime suspects, including Ramaya and several members of the Abdul Satar family.
Abdul’s brother Mamade Satar has also been arrested along with Anibal Antonio dos Santos junior, Carlitos Rachid and Manuel Fernandes. The four allegedly carried out the murder.
According to Mozambican public prosecuting authorities, defence lawyers will be officially informed about the charges against their clients and given access to the case file. After about three or four months a charge sheet will be drafted and delivered to an investigating magistrate. The magistrate will then decide if the prosecution has enough evidence to warrant the case going to trial.