Mozambique's Public Prosecutor's Office, acting through the Zambézia Provincial Anti-Corruption Bureau, has formally charged Marla Matos, daughter of provincial governor Pio Matos, with the alleged diversion of 10 million meticais earmarked for the purchase of a passenger and cargo vessel to operate between Quelimane and Inhassunge.
The charges were confirmed on Wednesday by the Mozambique Information Agency (AIM), citing a source within the Public Prosecutor's Office. Marla Matos is facing proceedings alongside four other defendants.
The defence has applied for a preliminary judicial inquiry, a procedural phase during which additional investigative steps may be conducted before the case proceeds to trial.
The case dates to 2022 and centres on funds from the Zambézia Provincial Directorate of Transport and Communications, which were designated for the acquisition of a vessel to service the route between Quelimane and Inhassunge via the Rio dos Bons Sinais.
According to available information, the 10 million meticais were transferred to OK Corporation, a company in which Marla Matos holds a shareholding stake. The procurement contract attracted public scrutiny after the vessel failed to be delivered within the agreed deadline and questions emerged over the use of a direct award process rather than a competitive public tender.
The vessel was subsequently delivered by the company, but doubts were raised over whether it met the original technical specifications required for passenger and freight transport on that route. Judicial authorities have been monitoring the case as part of broader investigations into alleged irregularities in the management of public funds in the province.
The Attorney General's Office recently dispatched the deputy director of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau to Zambézia to oversee cases deemed of particular significance, including those involving public administration officials and private sector actors. No trial date has yet been announced.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=538777
