The National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in Nampula has arrested a young man who posed as an agent of the State Information and Security Service (SISE).

The citizen pretended to be a Mozambican secret agent in order to get the management of Nampula Central Hospital to pay his girlfriend's back wages.

Newly hired staff at the HCN have been without pay for seven months, including the young man's girlfriend, who was hired nine months ago. He blackmailed the hospital's Finance Director, who arranged for him to pay his girlfriend's salary arrears. The salaries were paid into the employee's account.

However, the NewsFurther investigations concluded that he was not a SISE agent. The citizen was arrested in possession of confidential HCN documents.

SERNIC's spokeswoman in Nampula, Enina Tsinine, told MZNews today that the HCN's Finance Director opted to make the payments to prevent confidential documents from "leaking out".

"The hospital management consulted SISE in Maputo to find out if there was an agent working in Nampula on these documents, but also to find out what SISE was doing," he said. As there was no confirmation from SISE, they tried to arrest the citizen.

On the other hand, Tsinine said that the citizen was a repeat offender in blackmail and swindling, "mostly in health facilities".

The spokesperson revealed that it was his girlfriend who gave the fake SISE agent the confidential documents.

The HCN employee has not been detained, but will face disciplinary proceedings at the HCN, and criminal proceedings for obtaining and sharing confidential documents, the spokeswoman said. "Whether or not he will be detained will depend on the judge who tries the case."