Lichinga court delays corruption sentencing for Mayor Luís Jumo

The First Section of the Lichinga City Judicial Court has postponed the reading of a sentence for the second time in a corruption case involving the Mayor of Lichinga, Luís Jumo, and the head of the Municipal Council's Procurement Management and Execution Unit (UGEA), Armindo Omar. The ruling, originally scheduled for Tuesday and then moved to Thursday, has been delayed again until next Tuesday.

The Niassa Provincial Anti-Corruption Office accuses the officials of corruption and abuse of office. According to the Public Ministry, the company Yao-Informática was awarded a 4 million metical contract in 2021 to supply ten waste containers despite lacking the necessary license. Prosecutors noted that Yao-Informática was registered in October 2019, shortly after the Mayor took office, and operates out of premises leased from the Mayor's wife.

The indictment further alleges that the Mayor used his influence to ensure the company repeatedly benefited from municipal public tenders, including IT equipment contracts. Additionally, the case examines the awarding of a contract for a protocol vehicle to Amaral-DFS, a general trading company, instead of specialized automotive entities.