The former Minister of Labor and ten other defendants are to begin trial this Tuesday at the Katembe Judicial Court, charged with the embezzlement of US$1.8 million from the National Institute of Social Security (INSS).

Helena Taipo is indicted of receiving bribe money to favor construction and printing company, in contracts with the INSS. According to the national news media, these are the pensions of Mozambican miners in South Africa.

The prosecution says that the payment of the bribes occurred in four installments to disguise the scheme. The companies involved were said to have overbilled the INSS, and as Minister, Taipo ensured that the contracts were signed. The fair sums went to the INSS, while the overbilled amount was diverted to Taipo's guarded bank accounts.

His co-accused include INSS managers and directors of the four companies involved in the scheme.

The prosecution believes that with this money the defendants bought real estate, cars and alcoholic beverages, among other items. During the investigations, 27 vehicles and seven properties were seized and seven bank accounts were frozen.

Taipo was minister of labor from 2005 to 2015, in both terms of President Armando Guebuza. The crimes allegedly occurred a year before Taipo left office.

Taipo was arrested in April 2019, by order of the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption, while serving as the ambassador of the Republic of Mozambique in Angola. Helena Taipo is currently answering the case in Freedom. Read more...