Maputo — Mozambique's Supreme Court could order a retrial of Anibal dos Santos Junior ("Anibalzinho"), the man who led the death squad that assassinated investigative journalist Carlos Cardoso in November 2000, if it believes that his statements might profoundly alter the conclusions reached by the previous trial.
Anibalzinho was tried in absentia, along with five other defendants, after he was illicitly released from the Maputo top security prison on 1 September. He was arrested in South Africa a week ago, and was extradited to Maputo last Friday, just hours after the Maputo City Court delivered its verdict and sentence.
All six accused were sentenced to long jail terms: the longest sentence, 28 years and six months, went to Anibalzinho, described as "a habitual delinquent".
His lawyer, Simeao Cuamba, has applied for a retrial, and a source in the Public Prosecutor's Office, cited in Thursday's issue of the independent newsheet "Mediafax", said it was now up to the Supreme Court to decide if there were strong enough reasons for this procedure.
The other five accused would certainly be called upon to testify, and so this could easily turn into a retrial of all six men.
Meanwhile the inquiry ordered by the Attorney-General's Office into Anibalzinho's "escape" is continuing, and "Mediafax"'s sources say that Anibalzinho himself was questioned on Saturday.
At the same time criminal proceedings are under way against 11 policemen implicated in the illicit release. They include a police inspector and the commanders of the three police units (from the ordinary police, the riot police and the presidential guard) on duty at the top security jail on 1 September. Anibalzinho has also occasioned a row between the police and Mozambican Television (TVM). When TVM went to film Anibalzinho at the prison, he took out his penis and waved it at the camera.
The management of the prison, which is run by the police, issued a protest at this footage, although the national police commander, Miguel dos Santos, denied that the General Command of the Police Force had done likewise.
