Maputo, Nov. 13, 2024 (Lusa) - The Portuguese businessman kidnapped on 29 October in the centre of Maputo was rescued in the town of Matola, on the outskirts of the Mozambican capital, the Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) announced on Wednesday.
According to a Sernic source, the businessman was being held ‘captive’ in a residence in the Jonasse neighbourhood in Matola Rio, but the criminal investigation force is reserving further details for a press conference on the spot today.
The Portuguese businessman, from the construction industry, was kidnapped in the early afternoon of 29 October in the centre of Maputo, the Portuguese ministry of foreign affairs and the Mozambican police confirmed at the time.
From the video surveillance images at the scene, to which Lusa had access, it is possible to see the businessman arriving at a development in the Polana neighbourhood, in the centre of the capital, driving his car alone, at around 12:00 local time (10:00 in Lisbon).
As he gets out of the car, a group of two men approach on foot and, with the support of two others who were travelling in a car that had stopped at the scene, carry the victim inside, with firearms visible and at least one shot fired.
This is the second known kidnapping in Maputo in the month of October, but in the previous case, which took place on 11 October, also in the centre of the capital, the victim was freed hours later, in Matola, after a police chase.
Previously, the last case in Maputo took place at the beginning of August, before the start of the electoral campaign for the general elections on 9 October.
Around 150 businesspeople have been kidnapped in Mozambique in the last 12 years and a hundred have left the country out of fear, according to figures released in July by the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), which argues that it is time for the government to say ‘enough is enough’.
"They're on their way to 150. More than a hundred have left the country. We're not talking about those who held administrative or management positions, if you count those there are many more. We're talking about those who held the capital, they were the shareholders of the companies," Pedro Baltazar, chairman of the CTA's security and private protection department, said at a press conference in Maputo.
"Nearly 12 years have passed since the first kidnapping, and we think that's enough time for the government to take a more pragmatic approach to putting an end to this evil. That's why we reiterate the need for the government to accept the measures proposed by the private sector," said the CTA leader, recognising the impact of "billions of dollars" on the country's economy and employment.
As of March, the Mozambican police have recorded a total of 185 cases of kidnapping and at least 288 people have been detained on suspicion of involvement in this type of crime since 2011, Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda announced earlier.
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