Maputo — The Attorney-General's Office (PGR) in the central Mozambican province of Zambezia is investigating three public sector managers, who are suspected of stealing ten million meticais (157,000 US dollars, at the current exchange rate) which were intended to buy a boat to ensure the transport of people and goods from the provincial capital, Quelimane, to Recamba in Inhassunge district.

The three, who have not yet been named, are accused of embezzlement and abuse of their position.

The failure to acquire a new boat means that over 350,000 people living in the districts of Inhassunge and Chinde are finding it difficult to cross the river to Quelimane safely.

Cited by the Maputo daily "Noticias', the spokesperson for the Zambezia Provincial Attorney's Office, Cristina Chihale, said the suspects are managers at various levels, and are accused of dilapidating public resources for their own benefit.

She said that, through social media, the Public Prosecutor's Office became aware that the Zambezia Provincial Directorate of Transport and Communications had awarded the contract for the purchase of a boat to the company OK Corporation Ltd.

There was no public tender - the contract was simply awarded to the OK Corporation without any tender at all.

The company received 10 million meticais from the Provincial Directorate, without providing any of the guarantees normally required in such cases. The promised boat has still not been supplied, even though the deadline laid down under the contract has long since expired.

Chihale gave no further details on the grounds that the case is sub judice, and releasing information might damage the continuing investigation.