The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) has confirmed that, two years after the launch of the “Stop Money Laundering” operation in Mozambique, the process remains without any suspects in pre-trial detention and is still in the investigative phase.
According to a report by the newspaper O País, the operation involved the preventive seizure of assets, including hotels, luxury vehicles, and bank accounts belonging to individuals and companies suspected of involvement in money laundering schemes.
“The Public Prosecution Service is complying with the applicable legal procedures for complex cases; at this stage, the files are proceeding through their legal channels within the deadlines set by criminal procedure law,” said Deputy Attorney General Amélia Chuquela.
She explained that Mozambican law establishes deadlines for the completion of the investigative phase, even in highly complex cases, noting that the Criminal Procedure Code sets a limit of up to 18 months for such cases.
“There are currently no detained defendants, and therefore the cases are also following different timelines from those required when individuals are in custody,” she added. Amélia Chuquela assured that the Public Prosecution Service continues to carry out the necessary investigative steps to gather and consolidate evidence, with a view to a possible decision on the outcome of the cases. “We are doing our utmost to complete all procedures so that we can move forward with the full establishment of the body of evidence,” she said.
According to data, in 2025 Mozambique recorded a total of 4,639 reports of suspicious transactions related to terrorist financing and money laundering, valued at EUR 764 million. The cases were reported across several sectors, including real estate, financial services, insurance, gambling, and the trade of metals and precious stones.
Recently, the Government stated its intention to ensure the sustainability of the financial prevention system and avoid being placed again on the international “grey list”, while strengthening reforms and intensifying the fight against financial crime in Mozambique.
In this context, the Government recently approved the Strategy for the Sustainability of the National System for the Prevention and Combat of Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Financing of the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (2026–2030). The strategy aims to ensure compliance sustainability and effectiveness in line with international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), in order to protect the integrity and stability of the national financial system.
The document frames this within the post-removal phase of Mozambique from the list of countries under increased monitoring, stressing that “leaving the grey list does not mark the end of the process, but rather the beginning of a new phase”, requiring continuous action and institutional consolidation.
Mozambique was placed on the FATF grey list on 22 October 2022 for failing to eliminate deficiencies in combating money laundering and terrorist financing. It was later removed on 24 October 2025, three years after its inclusion.
Source: Diário Económico
