Today, the Central Office for Combating Corruption (GCCC) revealed evidence of corruption in the design and preparation of school books for the 5th and 6th grades in 2022, compliance with public procurement procedures and payments of bribes.

The GCCC said in a press release that it had learned of the irregularities in the manuals through the press. And "because there is a suspicion of corruption and other criminality, the Central Office for Combating Corruption (GCCC) has filed a case registered under no.^o 51/11/P/GCCC/2022".

The case brought by the GCCC has a total of ten MINEDH defendants who, depending on the findings, are accused of committing the legal types of crimes of active and passive corruption, fraud, abuse of office or functions and payment of undue remuneration.

The investigation carried out with officials from the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) and the three publishers contracted to produce the manuals revealed the following: (i) false information which resulted in favoring people who did not meet the requirements for coordinators and hiring book evaluators in violation of public procurement procedures; (ii) Non-compliance with the rules for Public Works Contracts, Supply of Goods and Provision of Services to the State; (iii) Failure to comply with the evaluation phases for school books; (iv) Solicitation of undue payment or sponsorship from publishing companies by officials of the Ministry of Education and Human Development; (v)  Gifts given to employees of the Ministry of Education and Human Development by publishing companies during the term of the contracts; e (vi) Payment of undue remuneration, in the form of attendance fees and honoraria without carrying out the corresponding activities, by MINEDH to certain civil servants and contractors in the context of the production and evaluation of school books.

"The criminal case with 10 defendants at large, under an Identity and Residence Term, of which 9 employees of the Ministry of Education and Human Development, and a publishing company were charged, and the case was referred to the Maputo City Judicial Court for further proceedings. The defendants in question, at the time of the events, held management and leadership positions at various levels," reads the document.

The GCCC said it would launch an autonomous process to continue the investigation and identify other possible parties involved in the case, both inside and outside the country.