The Central Office for Combating Corruption (GCCC) yesterday presented its half-yearly activity report (given that it no longer presents the monthly ones) in which the dominant focus with regard to corruption crimes is related to the continuous diversion of public funds. According to the GCCC, from January of this year until this part, around 80 million Meticais were diverted from the State coffers. Of this amount, what is a concern is that only 14 million Meticais were recovered, about 17.5% of the total diverted, therefore, much less than 50%.
This situation illustrates that the internal control measures in the State apparatus are failing in a serious way. It also means that the judicial authorities are failing to recover a very significant part of the funds diverted from public coffers. This means that for the offenders, the practice of the crime of embezzlement of State funds or embezzlement, provided for and punished by the Penal Code, is an illegal activity that pays off.
