Maputo, Aug. 18, 2026 (Lusa) - Mozambique identified more than 3.2 billion meticais (€43.6 million) lost to corruption in the first half of the year, with the authorities recovering 581,000 meticais (€7,841), according to the Central Office for Combating Corruption (GCCC).
«This year, up to the end of the first half, the loss to the State amounted to 3,234,987,641 meticais [around €43.6 million] and, as a result of the corrupt practices covered by our investigation, we have so far seized 581,130 meticais [€7,841]. It should be noted that the activity reported here is the result of the ex officio intervention of the Public Prosecutor's Office,» GCCC spokesperson Romualdo Johnam said on Tuesday.
The figures were presented at a press conference, with the spokesperson adding that in the first half of this year, the GCCC processed 1,646 cases, compared with 1,509 in the same period last year, an increase of 137, and of the total, at least 559 were concluded, compared with 491 in the same period last year.
According to Romualdo Johnam, of the total number of cases concluded, prosecutors brought charges in 368 cases, which are now proceeding through the legal process, whilst investigators dismissed a further 191 cases because they lacked sufficient details to proceed.
«The activity reported here is the result of the Public Prosecutor's Office's intervention, the complaints received, and coordination with various state bodies, both public and private, notably the Administrative Court, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the State's General and Sectoral Inspectorates, and other state bodies,» said GCCC spokesperson Romualdo Johnam.
Among the offences, passive bribery for unlawful acts stands out, with 306 cases, followed by abuse of office or position with 144, active bribery with 103, falsification of qualifications with 74, embezzlement with 68 and money laundering with seven cases, as reported by the GCCC.
Among the cases brought this half-year, one relating to the education sector stands out; it now involves 143 defendants, public and private sector employees, of whom 131 are teachers, including managers and technical staff from the administration and planning departments and the secretariat of the Mecuburi District Education Authority in Nampula province, who face charges of embezzlement.
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office, this group conspired to embezzle more than 1.8 million meticais (€24,904) allocated to the Mecuburi District Department of Education, Youth and Technology to support 150 schools; the GCCC is currently hearing the case.
Another notable case concerns the health sector, where six civil servants – including three healthcare technicians from the Vilanculos Rural Hospital in the southern province of Inhambane – face charges of passive bribery in connection with an unlawful act and manslaughter, after they made the performance of surgery on a patient who was the victim of a road traffic accident conditional upon the payment of an unspecified sum.
In April, the Attorney General, Américo Letela, stressed the importance of combating the «normalisation» of corruption, arguing that promoting integrity fosters a culture of respect for the law, in which ethical conduct becomes the preferred means of advancing individual interests.
Also in April, Mozambique launched the Intervention and Awareness Group (GRIS), comprising nine members, with the aim of encouraging citizens to participate in the fight against corruption and promoting safe reporting within communities, schools and public institutions.
PME/ADB // ADB.
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