MOZAMBIQUE: ANIBALZINHO RECEIVES MAXIMUM SENTENCE

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000106 SIPDIS SIPDIS AF/S FOR HTREGER NSC FOR CCOURVILLE JUSTICE FOR CCOSTARODRIGUES AND THALL MCC FOR SGAULL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KCRM KCOR PHUM MZ SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: ANIBALZINHO RECEIVES MAXIMUM SENTENCE FOR ROLE IN CARDOSO MURDER REF: A. 05 MAPUTO 1569 ¶B. 05 MAPUTO 133 ¶1. On January 20 a Maputo City Court sentenced Anibal "Anibalzinho" dos Santos Junior to 29 years, 11 months, and 25 days for his role in the November 2000 gunning down of investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso. The court found Anibalzinho guilty on all nine of the counts he faced. The court also ordered him to pay compensation of 14 billion meticais (approximately USD 560,000) to Cardoso's two children and 1.5 billion meticais (approximately USD 60,000) to Carlos Manjate, Cardoso's driver who was injured during the shooting. Judge Dimas Morrao also stated that Anibalzinho, a Portuguese citizen, should be deported to Portugal after serving his 30-year sentence in Mozambique, though it is not clear whether this was a binding order. ¶2. Background: Carlos Cardoso, Mozambique's foremost investigative journalist, was murdered in November 2000 while in the midst of investigating the 1996 theft of USD 14 million from the Bank of Mozambique (BCM). Anibalzinho was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the Cardoso murder in March 2001. He escaped from prison in September 2002, just before the start of his trial. In January 2003 he was sentenced in absentia to 28 and half years for his role. Anibalzinho was captured in South Africa the day before the verdict was announced. Returned to Mozambique, he managed to escape a second time in May 2004 and fled to Canada. He was detained, however, and then in January 2005 brought back to Mozambique (ref B). Shortly before his return, in December 2004, the Supreme Court issued a controversial ruling granting a retrial for Anibalzinho, stating that anyone sentenced in absentia to a prison term of more than two years must be allowed a retrial. The retrial began on December 1, 2005 in a Maputo City Court (ref A). End background. ¶3. Comment: Public reaction to the verdict, through positive, has been muted. According to most media commentators there was little, if anything, new revealed during the retrial. Many expressed doubts Anibalzinho would actually serve out his full sentence in captivity, given his past escapes. It is widely believed he had assistance from powerful individuals who do not want the truth about the Cardoso murder revealed. Former President Chissano's son, Nyimpine Chissano, was alleged to have been involved in the Cardoso murder and testified in both trials, but so far an investigation into Nyimpine's role has stalled at the Attorney General's office. Dudley