A customs official in Nampula province has accused the provincial Secretary of State of ordering his arrest for allegedly disobeying orders from his superior.

The detained agent, who spoke to the press, allegedly prevented a citizen from photographing vehicles seized by Customs at Checkpoint Number 1, along the EN1 in the city of Nampula. The individual made a call to a higher authority in Nampula province. The latter asked to speak to the customs officer. He refused to speak to the higher authority. He said that such a procedure must comply with the Customs hierarchy, including the head of the post. Without just cause, he was detained by agents from the Unit for the Protection of High-Rank Individuals (UPAI), reports the newspaper o país.

Cited by STVAlírio João said he strongly believed that it was Jaime Neto who ordered his arrest.

He said that he was put in a cell at the Provincial Command of the Police of the Republic of Mozambique, and that he was in uniform. He stayed there for around 48 hours. He said that he slept in cardboard boxes and had Styrofoam bowls for meals (the so-called takeaways) wrapped in plastic as a pillow.

The Nampula Prosecutor's Office, which ordered the release of the official and the filing of the case, is already investigating the case and promises to criminally penalize the aforementioned entity, since disobedience by a superior has not yet been proven.

The Tax Authority in Nampula, according to the portal The Countrysays it will not comment on the matter while it investigates the case. (Image: DR)