Mozambique’s Central Anti-Corruption Office (GCCC) has archived the investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the acquisition of three aircraft by national carrier Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM), concluding that insufficient evidence existed to support criminal charges, the agency Lusa reported on Tuesday, 18 August.
According to the GCCC, the decision was communicated in a letter dated 10 August addressed to the Minister of Transport and Logistics. The office said it had investigated alleged indications of corruption linked to the purchase of one Bombardier Q400 aircraft for approximately six million dollars, and two Embraer 190 jets acquired by the management committee as part of the airline’s restructuring programme.
The investigation was launched following public complaints about the aircraft acquisitions. During the process, an internal audit conducted at LAM identified the ‘absence or insufficiency of minutes, formal deliberations and resolutions relating to certain procurement processes’, according to the GCCC.
The audit also identified the absence of structured economic, technical and financial feasibility studies for the acquisitions, deficiencies in the instruction of procurement files, and alleged failure to follow competitive tendering procedures. The GCCC further noted the use of intermediaries, shortcomings in pre-purchase inspections, and technical and operational irregularities related to the Bombardier Q400 fleet.
Despite those irregularities, the GCCC concluded that ‘sufficient elements demonstrating the legally required conditions for the attribution of criminal liability were not gathered’. The office therefore determined that the case should be archived.
‘There were elements that justified opening a criminal procedure for investigation, but these were failures related to the absence of documentation or poorly instructed administrative processes, without giving rise to indications of criminal liability,’ said GCCC spokesperson Romualdo Johnam at a press conference, reiterating that the investigation had not uncovered any evidence of crime.
The GCCC nonetheless recommended that LAM strengthen its internal control mechanisms, corporate governance frameworks, and oversight of management decisions. The airline announced the acquisition of the Bombardier Q400 in August of last year and, in December, disclosed the purchase of two Embraer 190 aircraft, which began operating under the Air Mozambique brand. With these additions, the operational fleet reached ten aircraft, with an expansion to twelve units planned by December.
The fleet expansion forms part of LAM’s broader restructuring and recovery plan, which also envisages the introduction of the Air Mozambique brand with the aim of improving operational efficiency, financial sustainability and service quality. As part of the restructuring, Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) acquired a 25.2% stake in the carrier in 2025, while Emose and Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) each came to hold 15.4%.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/2026/08/19/negocios/aviacao/gccc-arquiva-investigacao-sobre-compra-de-aeronaves-pela-lam/
