Without a trace in Mozambique

 

00:00:13

Rodrigo: "Look, I've just passed Inchope, are you moving or are you stopped in Gorongosa?"

 

00:00:20

Rodrigo: "I'll call you when I'm in Gorongosa, okay? Great, see you later! "

 

00:00:31

Rodrigo: "Where are they now? Gorongosa? Wait for me there, okay? See you soon. "

 

00:00:43

Woman: “What place is this Rodrigo?"

 

Rodrigo: “It is the Pungwe bridge in Gorongosa.”

 

00:00:58

Rodrigo: Since forever I remember this bridge.

 

00:01:03

Rodrigo: The first time I came to Mozambique was with my mother and my brother, to visit my father in 2009. We spent many vacations here. I would rather have my vacation here with him than in Portugal.

 

00:01:20

RODRIGO’S FATHER, AMÉRICO SEBASTIÃO, KNEW WELL THE PATHS THAT LEAD TO BUSH, INSIDE MOZAMBIQUE. IT IS THERE THAT HE HAS A PART OF HIS BUSINESS.

THIS PROVINCE OF SOFALA HAS BEEN THE STAGE OF TENSIONS AND CONFLICTS.

 

00:01:33

Commander Lourenço: There were a lot of abductions there, I'm talking about 5 or 6 abductions.

 

Reporter: And what happened to these people?

 

Commander Lourenço: Five or six, so far most of them have not been found.

 

Reporter: Were they Mozambicans or foreigners?

 

Commander Lourenço: No, no, Mozambicans. We are concerned about foreigners, the only foreigner is Mr. Américo.

00:02:00

IN 2016 THE PRESS DETECTED 9 CASES OF BENGALESE ENTREPRENEURS KIDNAPPED IN THE SOFALA PROVINCE, IN ADDITION TO AMÉRICO SEBASTIÃO.

Abductions, sometimes with ransom demands, have become commonplace in Mozambique since 2011. Investigations often go unsolved. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is no stranger to the country, which he has been in touch with for over 40 years.

 

00:02:26

I have travelled all over Mozambique, I know Mozambique very well, I have many friends in Mozambique. Very little of what happens in Mozambique is a complete surprise to me. / / I usually say that it is my second homeland.

 

 

00:02:38

Americo Sebastiao was abducted from the centre of Mozambique in July 2016. He disappeared without a trace.

 

00:02:47

Rodrigo: I'm only here because I know that my father will show up, if I did not believe that, if I did not have that faith I would not be here, I would not be doing anything here (tears)

 

 

TITLE: WITHOUT A TRACE IN MOZAMBIQUE

 

00:03:07

The roads here stretch on for miles, but Rodrigo already knows their layout, following his father’s tracks. Here we are in the village of Gorongosa, a commercial hub which links the south to the north of the country. The destination – NHAMAPAZA. (ny-ay-mah-pah-zah)

 

00:03:22

Rodrigo: There are people who ask me why I’m still here and if I'm not afraid of the same thing happening to me.  I usually justify that by thinking, what happened to my father, the people who did it must be sorry, because my father is a good man.

00:03:39

In Mount Gorongosa, there are some quiet days, but peace is still illusive. The province of Sofala was once the centre of political conflict between Renamo and Frelimo for a number of years, until a truce was declared at the end of 2016.

 

 

 

00:03:57

Cristiano Tchova / Tailor: You could not be here like you are now. Although we are here, but we’re not living well.

 

 

 

00:04:10 

The military presence made living here unbearable. Cristiano Tchova struggled for customers at the foot of the mountain because visitors thought it dangerous.

Between 2015 and 2016 Human Rights Watch investigated a number of human rights abuses.

In Sofala, days were startled by ambushes, abductions, arrests, disappearances, murders and looting on a daily basis, whether by heavily armed men of Renamo men whether by government forces. On some roads, circulation was limited to military columns.

 

 

 

00:04:44

Father Sapato: So far, I can not understand how the people live. The people suffered because they had to flee, they had to abandon their property, then they stopped producing. It leads to anxiety, not knowing what will happen to us tomorrow, it brings trauma.

 

 

00:04:59 

In 2017, President Filipe Nyusi and the leader of the Remano, Afonso Dlhakama, began negotiations for a peace agreement, and appeared side by side on a visit to Sofala.

 

Feliciano Sixpence wants to believe that peace is at hand. He is the secretary of the neighbourhood, in Maringue. Today he is meeting with residents. They hope that this year could see the installation of electric lighting, something which Nhamapaza has never experienced.

 

00:05:27

Feliciano: Nothing, never, never, never. There are no factories or banks here because we lack the power.

 

00:05:36

In 2012, Feliciano met Americo Sebastiao who he started working for.

 

00:05:41

Feliciano: Mr. Américo didn’t have problems with anyone, he's a very good person, he collaborated with the workers, with a lot of people, even with government, population, community ... we liked him a lot because he was very supportive.

 

00:05:55

Salome: We went to Mozambique together for the first time in 1998. What fascinated him was the immensity and potential that he saw in Mozambique // Expanding business in the cattle and agriculture fields, which are Américo's passion.

00:06:18 THE AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER SETTLED IN MOZAMBIQUE IN 2001. HIS WIFE SALOME AND THEIR young CHILDREN STAYED IN BOMBARRAL, PORTUGAL TO GET THE BEST EDUCTION POSSIBLE. HE VISITS THEM SEVERAL TIMES PER YEAR.

 

00:06:30

Rodrigo: I can say that I'm a person who is used to goodbye’s and hello’s.  Taking my father to the airport, and picking him up.

00:06:39

RODRIGO SEBASTIÃO WAS A MANAGER AT A BANK WITH A MASTER'S DEGREE IN FINANCE BEFORE COMING TO MOZAMBIQUE AUGUST 2016.

 

00:06:48

Rodrigo: The move had been planned, I had more or less decided that I was going to join my father here, to help him, to give him some rest and some peace.

 

00:07:06 

THREE DAYS BEFORE RODRIGO ARRIVED, HIS FATHER’S LIFE IS STARTLED. 

 

00:07:11

Reporter: On the morning of July 29, 2016, Américo Sebastião came here for fuel supplies. He was taken against his will and did not appear again. Nhamapaza is located in an area known for its wood extraction business. In 2016 this was a hot-spot for politico-military conflicts between RENAMO and FRELIMO.

 

00:07:33 

AT THE PERTOL STATION AMERICO SEBASTIÃO WAS GOING TO GET FUEL FOR THE WOOD-CUTTING MACHINES. IT WAS THE END OF THE MONTH AND HE HAD CASH ON HIM, TO PAY SALARIES AND BUY FOOD FOR THE WORKERS.

00:07:44

Pita Vasco: This for me made me very sad and to this day I'm crying, Mr. Américo helped me a lot, HE was almost my father, different from race, but that's okay, he was like my father, I've been sad ever since.

 

00:08:03

THERE’S THE SMELL OF SANDALWOOD IN THE AIR. PITA VASCO HAD WORKED WITH AMERICO SEBASTIÃO SINCE 2010. HE WAS TAKEN BY POLICE FOR QUESTIONING AND INTERROGATED IN REGARDS TO THE ABDUCTION. WORD ON THE STREET WAS OF EVENTUAL SUPPORT TO RENAMO.

 

00:08:18

Pita Vasco: Mr. Americo was not taking food to Renamo sympathizers or anyone in that party. It was for the workers, when there is a time of hunger, we feel bad, and hungry here. During times of drought, he brings flour to us workers.

 

 

 

00:08:39

THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WITH TWO BUSINESS PARTNERS, ONE PORTUGUESE AND ONE MOZAMBICAN, THE ENTREPRENUER MAGED TO GET LICENSES AND CONCESSIONS TO EXPLORE THE APPROXIMATLEY 200 THOUSAND HECTARES OF FOREST. ALMOST 300 PEOPLE WORKED ON THESE AND OTHER CLAIMS. THE LAND IS CONSIDERED PUBLIC PROPERTY, PROPERTY OF THE STATE.

00:08:57

Rodrigo: Mozambique has more than 40 forest species identified as having commercial value. By law, companies are obliged to replant. We have our nursery there, whenever we cut a tree we replant in the place where it was cut.

 

 

00:09:15 

Gildo Espada: Whenever there is exploitation of natural resources, and in this case forestry resources, it is obligatory that companies that exploit the local communities allocate 20% of the annual net income to that community.

 

00:09:37

Lourenço: That 20% legislation helps the community. It allows the building of schools over there, houses for locals. It has absolutely helped, there is no doubt.

 

00:09:57

Feliciano: He was the one who built this house for me.

 

00:10:01 

J Campeão: There is always competition, that's true, it's true that there is envy; there are people who envy the achievements of others. They even say that about Americo, that there were people who wanted to take over his claims of land. It is clear that he fought not to give that to them, right? Because it's his business.

 

00:10:19

Rodrigo: My father is the strongest person I know, I've seen him go through very complicated situations // This is one of the main reasons why I'm here and have the courage to face every day because if he's holding on, I have to man up too, there is no other possible solution.

 

00:10:35

WITHOUT A TRACE, THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AMERICO SEBASTIÃO WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER KIDNAPPINGS THAT OCCURRED IN MAPUTO. AT LEAST 150 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KIDNAPPED IN THE LAST 6 YEARS WITH THE GOAL OF OBTAINING A RANSOM.

 

00:10:48

Frangoulis: There is violent crime and assets crime. In violent crime we find a crime with political animosity and the other with asset animosity and here we also find the problem of money. There are crimes of abduction or kidnapping that existed a little before the 2016 conflict began, when the goal was ransom and money.

 

00:11:15

MAPUTO HAS BEEN THE MAIN STAGE FOR RANSOM KIDNAPS, WHERE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN DEMANDED. IN NOVEMBER 2015, THE OWNER OF ONE OF THE BIGGEST COMPANIES IN MOZAMBIQUE WENT HOME AT LUNCH TIME.  AS HE PULLED INTO HIS DRIVE, A GROUP OF KIDNAPPERS TOOK HIM COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE.

 

 

(Video Hariche Arquissandas)

 

 

00:11:41
HE WAS RELEASED ONE WEEK LATER. FOLLOWING THIS SURGE OF ABDUCTIONS IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, SOME OF THE KIDNAPPERS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, BUT THE INVESTIGATIONS RARELY REACH THE RINGLEADERS. BETWEEN 2013 AND 2014 AT LEAST 8 PORTUGUESE NATIONALS WERE TARGETED BY THIS TYPE OF CRIME.

00:11:59

Anabela: We were waiting for him to get home, and then we were surprised by a phone call saying he'd been kidnapped, out of nowhere.

00:12:10

THIS PORTUGUESE FAMILY HAD BEEN LIVING IN MOZAMBIQUE FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS WHEN ONE OF THEIR RELATIVES WAS KIDNAPPED IN 2014.

 

00:12:16 

Anabela: The kidnappers’ call comes in one maybe two days after he was taken. At the time they asked for money, they asked for around 3 million dollars.

What can a family to do in such a situation? The family was in total despair, we think we're all at risk and we think we're in a Hollywood movie. And of course, our concern was solely for his well-being. Then we tried to negotiate. Whatever we had in exchange for him.

00:12:52

THROUGHOUT THE 22 DAYS IN CAPTIVITY, ONE OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS MANAGED TO SPEAK TO THE ABDUCTEE TWICE OVER THE PHONE…

00:12:59

Anabela: In his despair he said, “Just pay them! I want to leave this place”, and that made us even more worried but also relieved. It was a very strange set of emotions because we ended up feeling good because we heard his voice, we knew he was still there, but on the other hand we were desperate because we had no way to get him out of there,  especially for the value they asked for, right?

00:13:20

TIED UP TO A CHAIR, WITH VERY LITTLE FOOD, THE HOSTAGE WAS WEAKENING AND HAD LOST 22 KILOS. THE KIDNAPPERS FINALLY ACCEPTED AROUND 70 THOUSAND EUROS OF RANSOM MONEY.

 

00:13:32 

Anabela: They called us and they said, “take the money to location and we'll set him free”. It was one of our relatives who put a bag with the money at the agreed site, and they freed him.

 

 

00:13:58 

SALOMÉ SEBASTIÃO SPENT THE SUMMER OF 2016 LONGING FOR A RANSOM CALL.

00:14:03

Salome: No, never, ever been asked for any ransom.

Reporter: ANY CONTACT ON BEHALF OF kidnappers?

Salome: We had no contact with the kidnappers.

Reporter: Not even then?

Salome: No.

00:14:18

THE PORTUGUESE BUSINESSMAN RAN HIS ACTIVITY, ALWAYS CONNECTED TO LAND, FROM THE CITY OF BEIRA. EVERY YEAR THE RAINY SEASON FLOODS THE PLAINS. HERE, 3 THOUSAND CATTLE ARE RAISED FOR MEAT FOR THE MOZAMBICAN MARKET.

 

00:14:34

Augusto Ruto, Employee: I worked hard with him, night and day //

He did not have any fear, he did not show racial discrimination, and he was an extremely good individual because he understood and knew people.

00:14:45

Rodrigo: I have an advantage in my opinion because as I was taking my degree I would trail along with my father. So there are certain concepts, certain topics that were spoken about that I can relate to and understand.

 

00:15:00

Rodrigo: The relationship that my father has with this place here, I think it's his great passion. Everything here is part of it, everything was built around it.

 

00:15:11

Augusto Ruto: We're really in the dark, as we do not know if he’s still alive or not.

 

 

00:15:20 

ON JULY 28th, 2016, AMERICO SEBASTIÃO TOOK TO THE ROAD AS HE OFTEN DID, HEADED TOWARDS THE LOGGING SITES.

 

 

HE PARKS HIS TRUCK IN NHAMAPAZA, A LONG STRIP OF TARMAC IN THE HEART OF SOFALA. IT’S A LAWLESS TERRITORY, WHERE SHOTS COME FROM SHADOWS IN THE JUNGLE. WHERE POLICE, MILITARY AND RENAMO GUERRILA HAVE THE POWER.

AT THE END OF THE AFTERNOON, AS USUAL, HE PHONED SALOMÉ.

00:15:43

Salome: It was a conversation about standard work matters that Américo often shared with me, and then he expressed his enthusiasm and contentment that we would celebrate 25 years of marriage that upcoming August.

 

 

00:16:03

IN AN AREA WHERE THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY OR HOTELS, AMERICO HEADS TO WHERE HE OFTEN SPENT THE NIGHT: IN FELICIANO SIXPENCE’S GARDEN.

 

 

00:16:12

Feliciano: He did not sleep inside the house. He slept outside, here. As he usually does.

 

Reporter: He slept inside the car?

 

Feliciano: Inside the car, yes. He woke me at dawn on the 29th, we prepared to leave together for the camp in Macoco. I woke up wearing a towel, and did not put on any trousers; I got up towel wrapped around my waist and went to the boss.  He said, “Hey, man, take 4 drums and put it them in the car. I’m going to buy fuel at Mr Artur's pump”.
I said, “Sure boss, I’m going to put on some pants”. He said, “Ok, hurry, we’re late”. // Boss then went to buy it on his own because it's near here; he went to buy the fuel. // I went back in the room to put on my pants and shirt, and everything else, and I wanted for the boss here on the porch.

00:17:17

THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO MAKE THEIR WAY TO CAIA  GROUPED TOGETHER,AND WAITED ON THE ROAD.  AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CONFLICT, THE MILITARY USED THIS PASSAGE TO RUN Its CONVOYS. IT WAS 6 AM, TONI WAS AT WORK.

A GROUP WAITS BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO HEAD TO CAIA .

00:17:29  

Toni : Mr. Americo, it was in the morning // I supplied. As I wall filling his drums I saw a car like that, only it was grey. The car stopped there, I thought it was a customer here at the pump and was filling without me controlling anything, I did not know who they were. I finished pumping. Mr. Américo received a call and was on the phone when I went inside to get the machine to sort out his payment. I'm come back to see Mr. Américo getting taken.

 

Reporter: But with handcuffs or rope?

 

Toni: in arms, by force.

 

Reporter: They grasped him?

 

Toni: Yes.

 

Reporter: And did he say anything, did he call for help?

 

Toni: Nothing, nothing.

00:18:10

THE PETROL STATION WORKER CONFIRMS THAT HE WAS ON THE SITE. BEFORE SPEAKING TO US HE PHONED THE DISTRICT COMMANDER OF THE POLICE AND THE PROVINCIAL COMMAND.

 

00:18:20

Artur: There were four men, three came down, one was in the car.

Reporter: What car was it?

Artur: The car was grey, with DOUBLE CABIN. Two men WERE STOCKY BUILT AND ONE SHORT. One was tall. The driver could not see me, as hid because I was afraid.

Reporter: Do you think they could be Renamo people?
Artur: No, no.

Reporter: Why?

Artur: Because I'm a native here, I live here, the Renamo do not have this type of car, after the Renamo cars were burned here, they did not have cars, until today ... there was no Renamo cars here.

Reporter: Did the police not immediately pursue them?

Artur: No, no, no.

 

Artur: Yes, sir, I was calling to ask for permission here to speak to Portuguese journalists. I called the province, they said hey, we would like your help too, we are looking for your input, too, speak the truth. It was a simple car. Have you seen? Yes Yes Yes. It was the commander.

 

00:19:40

There was conflicting information, that they are military that came in a Mahindra (brand of car) , I said no, if it was military they were in regular clothing. I do not know, but I know the uniform, and I did not recognise it.

00:19:53

THE INFORMATION THAT REACHED THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF AMERICO SEBASTIÃO WAS SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.

 

00:19:57

J Campeão: A worker from the petrol station called to say that Mr. Américo had been seen at the pumps in Nhamapaza, and that a van appeared with 3 or 4 men wearing the uniforms of the FIR, they grabbed him, captured him, and carried him away.

 

00:20:16

Luís: For me it was clear from the beginning who it was, it was a group of soldiers from the Mozambican military in an identified vehicle, just like the ones they use, that captured him that day at the pump. The car, which I think is a Mahindra is the same as what the military use. All the reports from the beginning pointed to them.

 

 

 

00:20:33

Salome: The information on Americo's disappearance came on the same day at around 5pm, I got a phone call of one of Americo's associates. He told me that Américo had been taken by an unknown group of people at the Nhamapaza fuel pump. I know the opinions differ, and some people who say that they were not people in uniform, so I do not know the truth at the moment because I was not there.

 

 

00:21:00

COMMANDER LOURENÇO OVERSAW THE REGION OF NHAMAPAZA AT THE TIME. HE WAS HOME AT THE TIME OF THE KIDNAPPING. HE WENT TO THE PETROL STATION, BUT THE INFORMATION HE COLLECTED SINCE WAS TAINTED BY FEAR AND DOUBTS.

00:21:11

Lourenço: The people themselves do not know, AS AN authority when I go to question someone saying, “look I want you to clarify what the fact is”, it's not all that is real ... I do not know how many, I was here, from here we only saw people, Mr. Américo being caught with two men, the other was ... all civilians, I do not know how many. Were they not in uniform? They were not in uniform”.

 

00:21:42

ALTHOUGH THE ALERT BEEN GIVEN AND AT A HIGHLY SESITIVCE TIMEL, KIDNAPPERS ARE LOST WITHOUT A TRACE.

00:21:49

Lourenço: We sent cops from one place to another, nothing. We went to where our area ends, nothing. So everyone was already nervous, right? The atmosphere changed at that moment because no one knew what was wrong with that gentleman. Because at that time there were these waves of killings anyway, sometimes there were locals taken, sometimes there were secretaries taken, there were many killings at that time.

00:22:16

Feliciano: I was too scared to sleep at home. I was really scared. For a whole day I went to sleep in the woods because I was afraid.

 

00:22:24 

Frangoulis: They were never ashamed to do this in the sunlight, I’VE SAID IT BEFORE!

 

00:22:28 

ATTORNEY ANTÓNIO FRANGOULIS HAD TOP LEADING POSITIONS ON THE BOARD OF POLICE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION; HE WAS A DEPUTY OF FRELIMO AND LATER WAS PART OF THE MDM OPPOSITION PARTY. HE DESCRIBES A VIOLENT CRIMINALITY THAT ATTACKS THOSE WHO ESCAPE TO THE SPHERE OF POWER.

 

00:22:42

Frangoulis: Surely you have heard that there are death squads in Mozambique. There were months maybe a year, 2 terrible years during the life squadron period…

 

Reporter: In what year?

 

Frangoulis: It was in 2016. I have no doubts. Taking Sebastião during the day is nothing new.

They had no problems at all; they knew that they would never be obstructed in their actions and that they can only do it to who would not obstruct, or who would frustrate their goal.

 

00:23:31

SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2016, RODRIGO HAS ALREADY EXPERIENCED GREAT HOPE AND GREATER DISAPPOINTMENT. HE HAD TO LEARN QUICKLY.

 

00:23:39

Rodrigo: Of course, it has changed my life, it has made me grow up. Maybe it's in these difficult phases that we really grow and evolve and that is also the paths we are here to live. Without friends here things would not be easy. Luis and Carla have played a key role, they have been my family, they have been my second mother and my second father.

 

00:24:02

Luís : When I arrived in Beira…Américo was the one who welcomed me from day one. It was Americo who taught me about living, it was not about the business, it was about how I was going to get over it all. He told me at that time that if these people were not given work, they would starve because there was no other way of living, in that area. What I believe is that there was someone who did not like him, who did this and who made a complaint and who caused this to happen.

 

 

 

00:24:42 

NICO RAPOSO WORKS WITH AMÉRICO FOR 10 YEARS IN BEIRA. ABOUT AN HOUR AFTER THE KIDNAPPING, HE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM HIS EMPLOYER TO ASK FOR A DEPOSIT OF 280 THOUSAND METICAIS, ABOUT 4,200 EUROS. NICO HAD NOT YET BEEN TOLD WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE.

 

 

00:24:59

Nico: He seemed different from the way he would have usually spoken to me, because he told me to deposit in an account because he had a situation to solve... then a message appeared, some messages saying, if you make the deposit, give me a signal. The boss never spoke to us like that, with words like that.

 

 

00:25:24

13 HOURS AFTER THE KIDNAPPING, WITHDRAWLS START BEING MADE FROM AMÉRICO’S ACCOUNT, FROM 3 DIFFERENT ATM MACHINES IN THE CITY OF BEIRA. THE KIDNAPPERS CONTINUED TO EXTRACT MONEY OVER A WEEK. THEY MADE 32 WITHDRAWALS OF 5,000 METICAIS EACH, NEARLY 2100 EUROS, HALF OF THE DEPOSITE THAT AMERICO HAD ASKED FOR.

 

 

00:25:44

Salome: Only a few days later, in Mozambique, we thOUGHT, “well, let's look at the accounts”, I talked to the children, and said we’ll look at Dad's accounts… and we REALIZED there had been made withdrawals.

 

00:25:54

SALOMÉ ARRIVED IN MOZAMBIQUE, ON AUGUST 1, 2016, AS PLANNED WITH THE INTENTION OF CELEBRATING HER SILVER WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WITH HER HUSBAND. AS IN MAPUTO, BEIRA AND LISBON SHE CONTACTED ALL THE POLICE AND POLITICAL AUTHORITIES UNTIL HER APPEALS CAME BEFORE THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE FORCED DISAPPEARANCE COMMITTEE OF THE UN.

 

00:26:14

Salome: What I'm hoping for is to raise awareness within Mozambique that this matter is serious and needs to be resolved.

 

00:26:27 

Villager: Mr. João, see you later! Have a good trip ! Be well, okay?

00:26:34

Rodrigo: They met me here when I was small, many of them. Life goes through a lot of turns and here I am again.

 

 

00:26:44

Salome: It's a concern, my heart pounds, and in the end, looking at the positive outlook of things, I thank heaven that Rodrigo being can do what he's doing.

 

00:25:59

Rodrigo: This is our cashew orchard, it's about 4, 4 to 5 years old, and one of the projects my father dedicates himself to the most, I always remember coming here with him, getting out of the car, going to the trees to see if there is any disease, if they have flowered, he loves this.

 

 

00:27:25

IN FEBRUARY 2018 THE BEIRA CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION SERVICE RELEASED as update ABOUT THE CASE OF AMERICO SEBASTIÃO.

00:27:34

Ranjitsinh: All the investigations have been carried out, and until now the Portuguese citizen has not been located, and no body with his characteristics has been found.

 

 

00:27:47

THERE IS NO CLARIFICATION ON THE ORIGIN OF THE KIDNAP, BUT the suspicion of support to RENAMO is appointed.

 

00:27:52 

Ranjitsinh: Requiring payment of monetary amounts as a condition for his trucks that transported wood were not attacked by REMANO.

 

00:28:06

Lourenço: I did not have information that Américo supported REMANO, nothing! I know that Mr. Américo gave visible support to the administration itself, to the government. We have the streets of Nhamapaza, Mr. Américo machines opened those roads for us! I witnessed that.

A SLOW AND CORRUPT JUSTICE SYSTEM OPERATING WITH IMPUNITY HAS STAINED THE COUNTRY’S IMAGE AND LEAVES IT CITIZENS VULNERABLE.

00:28:50

Father Sapato: We're almost used to it. There is impunity, there are those who have the power but do nothing, so it hurts because it affects trust and brings insecurity.

 

00:29:03

Frangoulis: These cases are purely and simply in the gods’ hands. They do not make progress and much less any kind of outcome is expected because it is the government of the day, the power of the day that committed them.

 

00:29:26

DESPITE The REQUESTS, MOZAMIBICAN AUTHORITIES DID NOT FIND THE TIME TO TALK TO SIC. THE GOVERNMENT OF MAPUTO HAS NOT GIVEN ANY EXPLANATION ABOUT THE CASE OF AMÉRICO SEBASTIÃO, NOR ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS POSED BY THE PORTUGUESE STATE.

 

00:29:39

Ambassador: It is in fact one of the situations in which we maintain with the Mozambican authorities a very intense relationship, and we are insisting on getting an answer, for clarification.

00:29:49

PORTUGAL OFFERED JUDICIAL AND POLICE SERVICES TO INVESTIGATE THE DISAPPEARANCE.

 

 

00:29:54

Amelia: We never had that answer and this offer was made several times.

 

Reporter: Any explanation for that?

 

Amelia We have no explanation for this, there is no comment on the part of the Mozambican authorities that has been communicated to us justifying one position or another.

00:30:11

THE CASE EVEN REACHED THE PRESIDENTIAL STAGE.

00:30:15

Marcelo: Portugal, everything that I could do in this field at the diplomatic level, at the governmental level and at the level of the President of the Republic from the summer of 2016 to the present, was always doing and always showing of course my whole concern and availability in terms of cooperation, respecting the constitution of the two states and the sovereignty of the two states.

 

00:30:45

PROSECUTION AGAINST UNKNOWS ESTABLISHED BY THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF MOZAMBIQUE WAS ARCHIVED, BUT THE FAMILY HAS ALREADY REQUESTED THE REPEAL OF THIS DECISION. THEY CHALLENGE THE CASE SO THAT THE PERPETRATORS OF THE CRIME DO NOT ENDANGER THE FREEDOM OF OTHER PEOPLE. FACING A DISAPPEARANCE, THE MOZAMBICAN LAW ESTABLISHES A WAITING TIME OF A DECADE FOR THE VICTIM’S PROPERTY TO BE INHERITED BY THEIR FAMILY.

 

 

00:31:09
Gildo Espada: After 10 years, it is possible to legitimize the heirs to have access to the property of the person who is missing, but this is a court case and it is necessary to allow a minimum of 10 years for the process to be started.

 

 

00:31:28
AMERICO WOULD BE CELEBRATING HIS 50^TH IN AUGUST 2018

00:31:32

Salome: Americo's got to be somewhere; I believe he is somewhere.

Reporter: Alive?

Salome: Alive, yes.

 

00:31:45

Rodrigo: Quite frankly my drive at this point here is to ensure that the effort of my father's hard work does not become in vain.

 

My father deserves everything, but in particular what he fought for here cannot be left to drift and risk falling under.

 

In his absence, what I most want is that things continue to work and run well so that when he returns, he can be proud of what has been done and realize that he is not alone.