The trial of the former Minister of Labor, Maria Helena Taipo, and 11 other defendants, starts next Monday (14). Those targeted are accused of misusing funds from the National Institute of Social Security and the Ministry of Labor.

The group allegedly embezzled about 113 million meticais from the coffers of the Migration Labor Directorate between the years 2010 and 2014.

According to the newspaper "O País" the amount was from the contributions of Mozambican miners in South Africa.

Besides the former Minister, the list of defendants also includes the former Director of the Unit, Anastacio Zita; the former Head of the Finance Department, José António Monjane; the former coordinator of the miners' project at the Migratory Labor Department, Pedro Taimo; Sidónio dos Anjos; Hermenegildo Nhantave; Baltazar Teófilo Mungoi; Elsa Maria Jonas; Alfredo Lucas; Desheng Zhang Zhang; Dalila Zubaida Lalgy and Issufo Francisco Mussona.

The above named individuals are charged with the crimes of embezzlement, abuse of trust, economic participation in business, forgery of documents, and forgery by unlawful use of legitimate instruments.