Policeman and prison guard arrested for attempted kidnap
The Mozambican authorities in the central city of Chimoio on Sunday detained a policeman and a guard from the Manica Agricultural Penitentiary who are accused of attempting to kidnap the son of a local businessman.
The policeman and the prison guard were drawing up the kidnap plan in collaboration with a worker from a Chimoio commercial company.
A spokesperson for the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic), Amed Bulacho, told a press conference in Chimoio on Monday, that the three would-be kidnappers were detained after their intended victim told the police about the attempted kidnap.
“The case happened here in the city”, said Bulacho. “The three men approached the boy and tried to take him out of the vehicle he was travelling in. But when he saw them, he managed to escape, and the three tried to follow their victim”.
The boy recognized the assailants and informed the police. “We have detained a policeman, a prison guard, and a motorist from a commercial company who, at the moment of the crime, was driving the car”, said Bulacho. “Investigations are under way to ascertain the degree of involvement of each of them”.
The policeman accused, Jorge Timoteo Junior, denied any involvement in the crime. He said it was a misunderstanding – he had caught the youth consuming drugs and so was obliged to act against him.
“No-one tried to kidnap the businessman’s son”, said Timoteo. “I wasn’t on duty. I was with my friends and when I caught him consuming drugs in one of the streets of Chimoio, I wanted to arrest him”.
“He ran”, continued Timoteo. “There was a chase, and his car hit a wall. Even so, he managed to escape. The next day I was asked to go to the police station, where criminal proceedings were opened against me for attempted kidnapping”.
AIM
