Mozambique: Nine Senior Lam Officials to Face Trial for Mismanagement

What the report says

Mozambique’s anti-corruption office says nine senior officials at state-owned Air Mozambique, better known as LAM, will face court over alleged mismanagement. The announcement was made in Maputo by the Central Office for the Fight against Corruption (GCCC), according to the report distributed by AllAfrica from Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique.

The case centers on suspected irregularities linked to aircraft purchases and sales, catering contracts, and other payments that investigators say lacked proper contractual support. The GCCC also said four defendants face abuse-of-office charges for allegedly ignoring rules on how services should be contracted for the airline. Prosecutors have now referred the matter to court for further proceedings.

The article places the case against a longer backdrop of financial strain at LAM, which has struggled for years with debt and operational problems. It notes that the airline was under management by South Africa’s Fly Modern Ark in 2024 as part of a government effort to restore profitability and avoid bankruptcy, though that effort did not succeed. The report also says the government has since brought in other state-owned firms to take stakes in the carrier as part of a restructuring plan.

For context, LAM is Mozambique’s flag carrier and has long been considered strategically important for domestic and regional transport. The case highlights continuing official scrutiny of public companies in Mozambique, especially where procurement and spending practices are alleged to have contributed to losses.