Maputo, 23 Feb (AIM) - The Nampula Provincial Court, in northern Mozambique, on Wednesday sentenced five individuals to prison terms of up to 30 years for the murder of an albino citizen, whose body parts they had intended to sell.

According to the report of the trial in Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", Dinis Sebasiao and Edson Eduardo were sentenced to 30 years, and three others, Argentino Eusebia, Alves Cabral and Calisto Francisco, all of whom were relatives of the victim, to 24 years.

Dinis Sebastiao was found to have organised the murder. He and his accomplices were found guilty of first degree murder, criminal conspiracy and the possession of human body parts. Among the aggravating factors, according to the judge, were premeditation and cruelty.

The five admitted to cutting up the body of the murdered albino and selling his arms for six million meticais (about 94,000 US dollars at the current exchange rate) to an unnamed foreign citizen in Murrupula district.

The judge regarded the men's confession as only partial, since they refused to reveal any details about the purchaser of the body parts.

In addition to the prison sentence, the murderers must each pay 300,000 meticais as compensation to the relatives of the albino.

Superstitions in parts of Mozambique and the neighbouring countries hold that the body parts of albinos are supposedly imbued with magical qualities, and when used in black magic rituals will bring riches, power and good luck.