# Mozambique banking and judicial account freezing disputes

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/mozambique-banking-and-judicial-account-freezing-disputes
> Updated: 2026-10-05T17:31:23.000Z. Sources: 6. Developments: 2.

In September 2026, the Mozambican political party PODEMOS denied reports that its bank accounts had been frozen by the Maputo Judicial Court. Party president Albino Forquilha stated the party learned of the alleged freeze via social media rather than formal legal notification. The party clarified that the legal dispute involves the Associação Solidariedade Cívica de Moçambique (SCM) regarding a March 2024 memorandum of understanding and disagreements over the sharing of resources.

By late September, the Bank of Mozambique issued a directive allowing commercial banks to block accounts and freeze balances to combat fraud, money laundering, and terrorism financing. This directive has faced criticism from legal and financial analysts who argue the measure may violate the Constitution by usurping judicial powers, suggesting that asset freezing should require prior judicial authorization. Experts also noted a lack of specific timeframes for these freezes, creating legal uncertainty.

## Claims

- The Bank of Mozambique issued a notice on September 29 authorizing credit institutions to block accounts and freeze balances in cases of suspected fraud, money laundering, or terrorism financing. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The bank's decision is based on Law No. 27/2022 regarding the Legal Regime of Bank Accounts. (corroborated by 2 sources)
- The Bank of Mozambique's decision to allow banks to block accounts may usurp the role of the courts. (single source)
- Only a judge has the authority to authorize the blocking of bank accounts. (single source)
- The central bank's instruction lacks defined timeframes for how long accounts can remain frozen. (single source)

## Timeline

### 2026-10-05: Bank of Mozambique faces criticism over account freezing directive

The Bank of Mozambique faces allegations of unconstitutionality after authorizing banks to freeze accounts suspected of fraud or money laundering without explicit judicial oversight.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/bank-of-mozambique-faces-criticism-over-account-freezing-directive

### 2026-09-10: PODEMOS denies reports of bank account freeze in Mozambique

Mozambican party PODEMOS denies its bank accounts were frozen by court order, attributing the legal dispute to a disagreement with the SCM over a 2024 resource-sharing memorandum.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/podemos-denies-reports-of-bank-account-freeze-in-mozambique

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Cite as: Mozambique banking and judicial account freezing disputes. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/mozambique-banking-and-judicial-account-freezing-disputes