Justice bodies urged to recover stolen public funds

The Mozambican Attorney-General’s Office has called on the country's justice bodies to ensure that assets are recovered in cases of embezzlement of public funds and organised and transnational crime, reports the Club of Mozambique. According to Amabélia Chuquela, head of the Specialised Department for Criminal Matters at the PGR, the authorities are developing actions to identify, track, seize and recover assets, instruments, products and proceeds of any nature related to the practise of illegal activity inside and outside the country. ‘It is necessary to demonstrate that crime does not pay, attacking its fundamental driving force, namely the proceeds of crime and assets. It is necessary that the initial investigation and seizure be efficient, timely and rigorous so that the Asset Recovery Office achieves the desired success,’ she said. Chuquela also said that confiscated assets must be preserved and reverted to the state before they are dissipated and lose economic viability. Adding her voice to the call, Gracinda Muiambo, presiding judge of the Maputo City Judicial Court, said: ‘The recovery and management of assets, especially those originating from illegal activities, requires an integrated and collaborative approach among all institutions that make up the country’s judicial apparatus.'