Mozambique: former airline boss jailed for embezzlement

A former chairman of Mozambique’s state-owned airline Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (Lam) has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for embezzling approximately $746,0000 of the company’s money. 

Antonio Pinto has been jailed for his involvement in a series of suspicious payments to an advertising company for material in an in-flight magazine which was supposedly meant to improve the airline’s image. 

His colleague, Lam’s former financial director, Helder Fumo, was also jailed for 14 years, while the director of the advertising company Executive Mozambique, Sheila Temporario, received a 12 year sentence. 

A judge has ordered the three pay $477,000 between them.

The defence lawyer for Ms Temporario told reporters that they intended to appeal the ruling. 

Photo: LAM