New Turn in Famous Mozambique Pigeon Peas Export Case

03-May-2025 12:56 PM

New Turn in Famous Mozambique Pigeon Peas Export Case
★ In the pigeon peas export case from Mozambique, a higher court removed Judge Noé Ama José Zimpinga for issuing an unjustified and unlawful ruling.
★ Judge Zimpinga was involved in the high-profile case concerning the export of pigeon peas, which involved two companies — ETG, Lda. and Royal Group. The case was linked to the export of pigeon peas to India, which allegedly caused losses worth billions of meticais (Mozambique's currency).
★ In December 2023, Judge Zimpinga ordered the seizure of 4,300 tons of pigeon peas and other goods stored in Nacala and Beira, claiming that two employees of ETG had failed to pay a bail amount of 3.8 billion meticais.
★ However, the higher judicial authority stated that this seizure order had *no legal basis*. It also pointed out that Judge Zimpinga proceeded unusually fast with the seizure process and even authorized the *sale of the seized goods*, despite the public prosecutor having ordered the case to be closed.