As published by Mano Florian in the African Times
Mozambique’s President, Daniel Chapo, has called on the National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) to modernise and adopt innovative mechanisms to ensure greater efficiency and transparency in solving crimes, while strengthening its capacity to tackle corruption and organised crime.
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Speaking today in Maputo at the launch of Sernic’s 2025–2033 Strategic Plan, Chapo stressed that corruption remains “a threat to the integrity” of public and private institutions, undermining the business environment and the country’s development.
“It is imperative to recognise that corruption threatens the integrity of our institutions, especially the business climate and our goal of developing Mozambique,” the President said. He instructed Sernic to strengthen its internal counter-intelligence systems to combat corruption within the institution itself, while promoting ethics, integrity, discipline, transparency, and accountability in all its operations.
The Strategic Plan is built on four main pillars:
- Technological and scientific modernisation of criminal investigations.
- Institutional strengthening and continuous training of personnel.
- Effective combat against organised, transnational, economic, and financial crime.
- Proximity to citizens and building public trust in the justice system.
Chapo pledged to invest in the modernisation of criminal investigation, including enhanced cooperation with regional and international agencies. He urged both Mozambican and foreign citizens, as well as institutions, to work closely with Sernic in solving crimes.
The sophistication of criminal activity, ranging from corruption, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and trafficking of wildlife products, people, organs, and body parts, to terrorism, money laundering, terrorist financing, related crimes, and cyber-crime,poses a serious threat to national stability.
This demands from Sernic an integrated, collaborative, and swift approach, the statesman said.
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The launch of the strategic plan comes after Mozambique’s parliament approved an amendment to Sernic’s governing law, which has seen Sernic changing its Master. Now the entity is under the authority of the Attorney-General’s Office (PGR), ending its previous dual subordination to both the Interior Minister and the judiciary, which created operational constraints.
Under the new framework, Sernic is recognised as a specialised criminal police force with a primarily investigative and technical role, supporting judicial authorities in criminal proceedings.
The Attorney-General’s Office will now oversee Sernic’s compliance with national laws, approve its annual budget proposals, and issue guidelines consistent with criminal investigation objectives.
The law also paves the way for new specialist units within Sernic, focusing on organised and transnational crime, asset recovery, corruption, cyber-crime, and financial and accounting forensics.
This article has been published in partnership with the African Times.
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