Beira Cement: Bankruptcy or the Story of a Scam? (3)<\/p>\n
By Lu\u00eds Nhachote<\/p>\nStolen vehicle In Beira, everyone knows that the judge presiding over the special \u201cinsolvency\u201d case \u2014 The aforementioned judge, Leonid de Bruno Muhate, three days after confirming in a court Questions for the sake of appearances\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n ao TJPS (1) To those questions, two and a half months later, the CJI has yet to receive a formal response The Despair of Tyron Musimani According to the police report from the South African Police Service, which is in the Contacted by CJI, Tyron Musimani stated that he only found out his car was allegedly in the The Judge\u2019s \u201cImportation\u201d of the Vehicle<\/p>\n ANP549MC It is worth noting, however, that for a vehicle of that model, the declared value was \u201cvery To legalise the Toyota Hilux \u2014 a double-cabin model with a 3200cc engine \u2014 for use in the Three days after arriving at TIAUTO 2, the vehicle \u2014 now bearing Mozambican number While the gleeful owner of the Toyota Hilux was enjoying his new ride, Interpol \u2014 in a letter The Customs Broker\u2019s Explanation \u201cDear Journalist Lu\u00eds Nhachote, – Mozambican Customs: review the basic documents (invoice, exchange commitment AS YOU CAN SEE: the broker\u2019s role is simply that of an intermediary in the import process. CJI will continue to unravel this case (see here and here), which has international Beira Cement: Bankruptcy or the Story of a Scam? (3) By Lu\u00eds Nhachote In Beira, everyone knows that the judge presiding over the special \u201cinsolvency\u201d case \u2014 whose outlines hint at a thin line between justice and fraud \u2014 is, in a curious and unprecedented twist, at the centre of a delicate and bizarre situation […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[316,319,317,318],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"Reda\u00e7\u00e3o CJIMOZ","author_link":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/author\/hcuambe\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Crime Organizado<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Beira Cement: Bankruptcy or the Story of a Scam? (3) By Lu\u00eds Nhachote In Beira, everyone knows that the judge presiding over the special \u201cinsolvency\u201d case \u2014 whose outlines hint at a thin line between justice and fraud \u2014 is, in a curious and unprecedented twist, at the centre of a delicate and bizarre situation…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3435"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3435"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3435\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3436,"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3435\/revisions\/3436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cjimoz.org.mz\/news\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nwhose outlines hint at a thin line between justice and fraud \u2014 is, in a curious and
\nunprecedented twist, at the centre of a delicate and bizarre situation laced with picturesque
\novertones of a pseudo-justice that cries out to the heavens. A mafia-like nucleus with
\ninternational links is at the heart of it all.<\/p>\n
\nruling the insolvency of Cimentos da Beira, acquired and began using a vehicle which, as the
\nCentre for Investigative Journalism (CJI) later found out, had been stolen in the Republic of
\nSouth Africa, to the astonishment of both legal circles and Beira society, owing to the car\u2019s
\nmodel, brand, and engine capacity, all of which are highly unusual within the professional
\ncircles of the judiciary and related fields. This is a vehicle beyond the reach of even well-paid
\ncivil servants within the judiciary due to the high customs duties involved. It is telling that
\neven the Secretary of State for Niassa publicly appealed to the Head of State for a reduction
\nin customs duties for the purchase of a Toyota GD-6, whose import fees surpassed 2.5 million
\nmeticais. But as the saying goes, \u201cthe truth floats like oil\u201d: the data we have shows that the
\njudge paid far less than what would normally be due for a vehicle of this calibre under regular
\ncircumstances.<\/p>\n
\nOn 5 February, the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CJI), striving to unravel the tangled
\nweb behind the insolvency, submitted a set of questions and supporting evidence to the Sofala
\nProvincial Judicial Court (TJPS), in a bid to understand what could have led one of its
\nmagistrates to take such ungodly paths.<\/p>\n
\n\u2014 despite promises. \u201cThank you very much, I acknowledge receipt. I will respond in the
\ncoming days after gathering relevant elements. Warm regards and good work,\u201d was the reply
\nfrom Martinho Domingos Muchiguere, judge and spokesperson for the TJPS, to our email
\ndated 5 February, whose questionnaire can be viewed HERE.<\/p>\n
\nFriday, 2 August 2024, is a date the South African national Tyron Musimani will never
\nforget. It was on this fateful day that his white Toyota Hilux, registration ND 525431, chassis
\nnumber AHTHA3CD803436600, engine number 1GD0837023, registered in the name of his
\ncompany Tye Properties PTY LTD and purchased in 2020 for 585,000 South African Rand
\n(ZAR) (equivalent to MZN 2,223,000 at the exchange rate of 3.8 meticais) vanished without
\na trace, shocking both the owner and South African authorities.<\/p>\n
\npossession of the CJI, the victim parked the vehicle on one of Durban\u2019s avenues, the capital
\nof KwaZulu-Natal Province, at around 6:30 PM \u201cwith the windows and doors locked\u201d. When
\nhe returned around 7:20 PM, it was no longer there. Musimani informed the SAPS (Case File
\nNumber HARTBEESPOORTDAM 20\/8\/2024) that at the time of the incident, he had left a
\nDell laptop worth ZAR 30,000 and various clothes worth ZAR 5,000 inside the vehicle \u2014 all
\nof which disappeared during the less than one-hour window he was away.<\/p>\n
\nhands of a Mozambican judge after certain Mozambican television channels \u2014 notably
\nTVSucesso \u2014 broadcast parts of the documents attached to this investigation. Musimani
\npleaded to CJI: \u201cI just want my car back, please, Your Honour!\u201d<\/p>\n
\nOn 11 October 2024, two months after the magical disappearance of Musimani\u2019s vehicle in
\nDurban, the Hilux was reportedly exported through Gogo Motors, an export entity based in
\nDurban, allegedly used by Judge Leonid Bruno Muhate as the intermediary in the supposed
\npurchase. On the Mozambican side, the judge enlisted the services of Lucas Zingai Quembo
\nNhadiro, a licensed customs broker officially registered with the Customs Brokers\u2019
\nAssociation. From the TIATO 2 \u2013 International Vehicle Terminal in Maputo Province (?), he
\nproceeded with the formalities and administrative procedures for importing the vehicle into
\nMozambique.<\/p>\n
\nlow\u201d, according to Mozambican customs authorities. Nonetheless, \u201cin terms of percentage-
\nbased duties, it is compliant,\u201d clarified the source.<\/p>\n
\ncountry, Judge Leonid Bruno Muhate reportedly declared its value at ZAR 315,000. See the
\nimportation document.<\/p>\n
\nplates ANP549MC \u2014 was reportedly taken to the port city of Beira, much to the judge\u2019s
\ndelight and the astonishment of his judicial peers. One judge we spoke to about the Beira
\nCement case commented on 13 January: \u201cA car like that is far beyond what our salaries
\nallow. At most, we can afford a Mark X. Our colleague is clearly showing off, and I hope he
\ncan explain the origin of the funds.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nnumbered 16\/Inpl\/Moz\/2024, dated 29 January of the current year \u2014 informed the Criminal
\nInvestigation Service (SERNIC) of Sofala that a vehicle matching the characteristics of the
\none stolen in Durban \u201cwas in the hands of Judge Bruno.\u201d We believe that SERNIC shared this
\ncrucial information with the TJPS. However, the truth remains that, nearly 90 days later, the
\nSofala Provincial Judicial Court has yet to clarify how this situation was allowed to unfold or
\nhow one of its judges could so brazenly tread the path of the ungodly without consequence.<\/p>\n
\nCJI managed to obtain a statement from Lucas Zingai Quembo Nhandiro, a licensed customs
\nbroker (certificate no. 124 DGA 05 05), who processed the vehicle\u2019s importation via the
\nSouth African intermediary Gogo Motors \u2014 which CJI was unable to locate in any Durban-
\nbased automotive directories. The closest match was a company advertising car sales and
\npurchases\u2026 in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\nRegarding this case, I can confirm that the vehicle followed a standard importation process:
\ninvoice \u2013 foreign exchange commitment \u2013 road cargo manifest \u2013 payment receipt for duties \u2013
\nDU and exit authorisation.
\nThe roles of the entities involved in the importation process are as follows:
\n– Banking sector: approve and register the foreign currency transaction through the
\nexchange commitment form.<\/p>\n
\nform, road manifest), approve\/assess the vehicle\u2019s customs value, verify the document
\ndata against the physical vehicle, and conduct checks on the legality of the vehicle in
\nthe country of origin \u2014 including whether it was stolen \u2014 and request additional
\ndocuments if suspicions arise. Finally, Customs issues a document called the Exit
\nAuthorisation.
\n– Customs broker: receive the invoice, assist the client in filling in the exchange
\ncommitment with the bank, submit documents to Customs through the Single
\nElectronic Window (JUE), request payment of duties and assignment of registration
\nnumber, and facilitate customs clearance and issuance of the Exit Authorisation.<\/p>\n
\nIt is up to Customs to trigger actions involving
\nSERNIC\/INTERPOL\/SISE\/INVESTIGATION services when suspicions arise, and such
\nresponsibilities do not fall under the broker\u2019s remit \u2014 not even abroad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nramifications and intricate webs with seemingly Machiavellian aims to take over the cement
\ncompany.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"