The Beira court today acquitted the two members of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) accused of kidnapping a Frelimo member during the campaign for the local elections on October 11.

According to the Lusa news agency, in reading out the decision, the judge in the case, Tomé Valente, justified the acquittal by the first section of the City's Judicial Court "due to insufficient evidence" and ordered the release of both men.

The judge added that during the gathering of evidence and the questioning, it was not proven that they were the masterminds of the crime of which they were accused and that they were not even present at the time of the events, when the campaign for the local elections in that municipality began.

In this case, an MDM delegate in Sofala province and another in the city of Beira - whose municipality is led by that party - were accused of the kidnapping and illegal detention of a Frelimo member, found in the Munhava neighborhood allegedly collecting voter cards.

Both were arrested on September 27 when they went to the police station in the city of Beira to clarify the case.

A third MDM member, president of the Youth League of Sofala Province, was arrested the following day when he went to the police station to talk to his colleagues, on suspicion of involvement, but the court considered his arrest illegal and excluded him from the case.