Prosecutor's Office dismisses Renamo's complaint against Constitutional Council judges
The Prosecutor's Office has deemed unfounded and ordered the dismissal of a criminal complaint by Renamo, Mozambique's largest opposition party, against seven Judges of the Constitutional Council (CC) for alleged criminal misconduct in the exercise of their duties.
The judges in question are Lúcia da Luz Ribeiro, Manuel Henrique Franque, Domingos Hermínio Cintura, Mateus da Cecília Feniasse Saize, Albano Macie, Albino Augusto Nhacassa, and Ozias Ponja.
This decision was announced on Monday through a press release from the Attorney General's Office, accessed by Torre.news.
According to the document, the Attorney General's Office stated, "Renamo requested the initiation of criminal proceedings against the Constitutional Council Judges, arguing that they validated the electoral results through Judgment No. 48/CC/2023, dated November 23, using documents that exhibited strong indications of forgery."
Regarding the allegations of forgery of minutes and official notices, and the use of forged documents, it was noted that Renamo had already utilized the appropriate legal mechanism by appealing to the Constitutional Council and presenting the disputed documents for a decision on document forgery as part of the electoral dispute.
The Constitutional Council subsequently rejected the appeal, stating that it found no indications of forgery in the minutes and official notices submitted by the National Elections Commission (CNE).
"The Attorney General's Office cannot intervene since the Constitutional Council has made a decision on the matter, acting as the final authority, and no further review is permissible," the statement clarifies.
Concerning the accusations of abuse of power and misuse of office or function, the implicated judges, as Constitutional Council Judges and public servants, acted within their constitutional and legal competencies, adhering to the principle of judicial independence.
"Accordingly, the Attorney General's Office found the complaint to be baseless and ordered its closure under Article 324(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, notifying the complainant of this decision on February 19, 2024," the statement concludes.
