Portugal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the Ministry of Justice, announced on Saturday, 24 January, that a team made up of members from the Judicial Police (PJ) and the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences will travel to Maputo, Mozambique, following the death of Portuguese banking executive Pedro Ferraz Reis. “Following contacts with the Mozambican authorities throughout this week, and within the framework of cooperation between the police and judicial authorities of both countries, a team made up of members of the Judicial Police and the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences will travel to Maputo this weekend. The team will accompany the investigation into the death of businessman Pedro Ferraz Reis, in close cooperation with the judicial and police authorities,” states the communiqué sent to newsrooms this Saturday.
Pedro Ferraz Reis, a board member of Banco Comercial de Investimento (BCI), was found dead on 19 January in a bathroom at the Hotel Polana in Maputo, with multiple stab wounds. Initially, the authorities stated that the case was a homicide. Subsequently, the spokesperson for the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC), Hilário Lole, ruled out the possibility of a crime.
There is now a public petition calling for the establishment of the “truth of the facts”. According to Diário de Notícias, the petition was launched by “family members and close friends”, who are calling for Portuguese State intervention. The document is addressed to the President of Portugal’s Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, and to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel.
Read Full Article on Club of Mozambique
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“In view of the inconsistency of the explanations provided regarding the death of Portuguese citizen Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis, which occurred on 19 January in Maputo, Mozambique, we hereby demand the intervention of the Portuguese State in this case, with a view to establishing the truth of the facts and protecting the family of this fellow citizen,” reads the public petition. The document further states that the request is made given that “the investigation carried out by the Mozambican authorities was considered concluded within a short space of time (hours), quickly shifting from the homicide hypothesis to suicide”. It also argues that “the explanation that Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis ‘left his workplace to go to his home to take a knife from his kitchen, then went to a commercial establishment to purchase two more knives, followed by another establishment to buy rat poison, before committing suicide in a hotel’ is implausible and unimaginable”.
In a statement, BCI expressed its sorrow over the death of Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis, recalling his leadership marked by closeness, commitment to the bank’s solidity, and appreciation of people, leaving behind a legacy that will be remembered with recognition and respect. “Throughout his career at BCI, Pedro Ferraz Correia dos Reis stood out for his strategic vision, strong sense of responsibility, and exemplary dedication to the institution. He made a decisive contribution to the bank’s development, consolidation and institutional affirmation, always guided by high standards of ethics, professionalism and rigour,” the bank’s note of condolence states.
According to the Portuguese Diaspora website, Pedro Ferraz Reis was a member of the Executive Board of Banco Comercial de Investimento. He had previously held the position of Chief Financial Officer at the same bank. Pedro Ferraz Reis, who had lived in Mozambique for 10 years, was also a member of the Council of the Portuguese Diaspora since December 2023.
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