MAYOR OF MAXIXE ARRESTED

The Mozambican police on Monday morning arrested the Mayor of the southern city of Maxixe, Simao Rafael, who is likely to face corruption charges, reports Tuesday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”. This followed the arrest on Sunday evening of the Maxixe councilor for town planning, Jacinto Chauque. The detentions occurred under an investigation into alleged corruption and extortion in the hiring of contractors for municipal public works. According to “Mediafax”, Rafael was arrested after he physically assaulted the Maxixe police commander, Joaquim Nascimento. At the time, the mayor was demanding the unconditional release of Chauque.“He grabbed our commander by the collar”, one police officer told “Mediafax”.Police sources told “Mediafax” that when Chauque was arrested be was in possession of four mobile phones and 4,000 South African rands (about 290 US dollars). The arrest was based on supposed threats made by Chauque against the Maxixe first secretary of the ruling Frelimo Party and the representative of the State in the municipality, both of whom have opposed the current municipal leadership because of the signs of corruption.Criminal proceedings against Rafael and Chauque have been initiated by the Inhambane Provincial branch of the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (GCCC).In a second municipality, Gorongosa, in the central province of Sofala, five million meticais (about 119,000 US dollars) has gone missing from the municipal coffers, and proceedings are under way against four officials of the municipal finance department, reports Tuesday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”.The case came into public view when members of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) raised the issue at a meeting of the Gorongosa Municipal Assembly. Danilo Jose, head of the MDM group in the Assembly, demanded publication of all data about the case. “We want to know where this sum, of about five million meticais, went”, he said. “We want a clear and urgent clarification of this case”.Municipal officials say they are aware of the case, and the Gorongosa Counsellor for Finance, Filimone Baptista, representing Mayor Moreze Causande, told the Assembly “four disciplinary proceedings are underway for violation of state norms”.But he gave no further details, leading the MDM to suspect that the Municipal Council is protecting the four accused officials.