Live News - A Survival Guide - International Federation of Journalists

Live News — A Survival Guide for JournalistsBankers who orderedmurder of investigativejournalist jailedfor 23 yearsSix men were jailed in February 2003 for 23 to 28 years for the murder of Mozambique's top investigativejournalist Carlos Cardoso in November 2000 and the attempted murder of his driver, CarlosManjate, who was severely injured in the ambush. The six comprised three assassins and the threewho ordered the crime: loan-shark Momade Assife Abdul Satar ("Nini"), his brother, Ayob AbdulSatar, owner of the Unicambios foreign exchange bureau, and former bank manager VicenteRamaya.The court found that the Abdul Satar brothers and Ramaya wanted to eliminate Cardoso becausehe had investigated the massive fraud in which the country's largest bank, the BCM, lost US $14million during its privatisation. The money was stolen at Ramaya's BCM branch, through accountsopened by members of the Abdul Satar family.The trial was the culmination of pressure by all those who want corruption cleared up inMozambique. Journalists and their organisations were amongst those who pressed for the full truthto come out.Cardoso, a former editor of the official Mozambique news agency, AIM, had set up and was editingan independent faxed daily newspaper, Metical, to investigate financial scandals. He was followedas he left the office and gunned down in his car.Although the court decided that these three businessmen had ordered the killing, they left open thepossibility that others would also be charged, including the President’s son, Nyimpine Chissano.Judges said that meetings to discuss the killings had also included “individuals other than thedefendants”. Some meetings had taken place at Expresso Tours, the company owned by Chissano,the oldest son of President Joaquim Chissano.These meetings, at which Nyimpine Chissano was allegedly present, were reported to AntonioFrangoulis, the then head of the Maputo branch of the Criminal Investigation Police (PIC).Frangoulis reported this to his superiors, following which he was sacked.Anibal dos Santos Junior ("Anibalzinho"), who recruited the assassination team and drove the car,received the longest sentence. However, he did not give evidence at his trial and could not bequestioned about his links with Chissano, because he was mysteriously released from the Maputotop security prison before the trial started. South African police arrested him in Pretoria as the trialclosed, and he was returned to jail in Mozambique on the day his sentence was announced.The court ordered the six to pay compensation of US $588,000 to Cardoso's children, aged 13 andseven, and to pay compensation to the driver.■115