Mozambique Parliament to debate MP’s alleged involvement in drug trafficking

The Standing Committee of the Assembly of the Republic scheduled for this Wednesday the consideration at the plenary session of the report of the parliamentary commission to investigate allegations of the deputy’s involvement in drug trafficking.

The debate will take place on a date yet to be set during the next parliamentary session due to begin on February 22, said Alberto Matukutuku, spokesman for the Standing Committee of the Assembly of the Republic.

Matukutuku described the document prepared by the parliamentary commission of inquiry as “very good” but left the details of the report to plenary discussion.

The Assembly of the Republic decided to set up a parliamentary commission of inquiry after MP Venancio Mondlane of the Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition party, denounced the alleged involvement of a MP (who has never been named) from the Liberation Front. Mozambique (Frelimo), the ruling party with a drug trafficking network in the province of Zambezia, central Mozambique.

The case came to light in November when authorities detained an Armed Forces officer assigned to the Macuse naval base and a local high school teacher on suspicion of hard drug trafficking, in which, according to a complaint by the main opposition party, the MP would also be involved.

Following the complaint, the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernik) clarified that it had no case against the member of the Assembly of the Republic.

Drug trafficking results in regular drug seizures in Mozambique, as reported by several organizations.

International organizations have put Mozambique on the route of several routes, especially heroin, originating in Asia and crossing the Indian Ocean.