According to the order to which Lusa had access, José Mateus "Zeca Mutchima" is being charged in a single case with 25 other co-accused, having in common the crimes of outrage to the State and its symbols and association of malefactors, while the protesters will also respond to the crimes of rebellion.
In question is the incident that occurred on January 30 this year, in Cafunfo, province of Lunda Norte, following an attempt by popular demonstration, which resulted in deaths and injuries, following clashes between demonstrators and police.
In statements to Lusa, the defense of Zeca Mutchima said that now awaits the indictment of the judge, for the scheduling of the trial date.
According to Salvador Freire, the process of his constituent was convoluted to that of the other co-defendants, "as if Zeca Mutchima were in the province of Lunda Norte, for the simple fact that he is the leader of that organization".
"We are going to fight this, we are trying to find financial resources so that we can travel [to Lunda Norte] to see if we can fight this," he said.
Salvador Freire noted that Zeca Mutchima remains in detention in Luanda, stressing that his constituent "has never been to Lunda Norte".
"He doesn't even know Lunda Norte, he is a native of Lunda Sul, but he left there a long time ago, he went abroad for training, and he has never been to Lunda Norte," he said.
The dispatch states that the 25 co-accused and others, in a composition of 400 people, belonging to the so-called MPLT, armed with AKM-type firearms, shotguns, arrows, irons, sticks, cutting tools, homemade explosive devices, pitchforks (fisgas), small axes, machetes and superstition statues (aka clowns), went to the premises where the police station of Cafunfo operates, with the aim of occupying it.
The document also notes that the protesters' aim was to affix the MPT flag, and the events occurred on January 30, 2021, at about 04h00 am, in the town of Cafunfo.
About the defendant Zeca Mutchima, the order stresses that in February 2018, the same, in the garb of president of the MPLT submitted a request to the Civil House of the President of the Republic to hold demonstrations in the provinces of Moxico, Lunda Sul and Lunda Norte.
In response, Zeca Mutchima was directed to request permits from the respective provincial and municipal governments.
"And, in the meantime, the leadership of the Movement of the Protectorate Lunda Tchokwe in the locality of Cuango addressed a request to the respective municipal administration, to be authorized to hold the march on January 30, 2021, claim denied by that entity, due to the state of Calamity that the country observes," says the indictment.
The Public Prosecutor's Office in its indictment stresses that the defense and security forces, alerted about the intention of the MPLT members, carried out awareness-raising work to draw attention "to the danger of such an act, given the state of Calamity on covid-19, in force in the country, and the danger that such an act could cause for public order and security, which prohibits gatherings of people".
According to the document, the administration's negative response did not please the MPLT members and they began to "carry out acts with the presence of more than 20 people, without wearing masks."
"They hired an alleged "quimbandeiro" from the Democratic Republic of Congo with the purpose of preparing them in magic (sorcery) to not be visible to the eyes of the members of the defense and security bodies during the acts they were going to perform, on January 30, 2021," the indictment reads.
"Unaware of the advice of the members of the defense and security bodies, in a routine work by law enforcement agents, a considerable number of individuals were surprised at a residence, in the Elevation/Cafunfo neighborhood, and, as a result, artifacts that they used in the superstition were seized," the prosecution further exposes.
On the 30th, the demonstrators "faithful to their nature", at about 3 am in a group of about 400 people, armed with firearms and blunt objects, bottles filled with gasoline, animal tails, went to the police station and on the way struck the body of the victim Alfredo Domingos Ebo, in the head, dorsal and internal upper quadrant of the right nadegueira region, and was taken to the Hospital of the Mining Society of Cuango.
The gun that was in possession of the victim, a Galili type was seized by the demonstrators, according to the indictment.
During the march, the co-accused threw handmade bombs and left unconscious and wounded in the regions of the head, in both hands and burned in the lower left limb an officer of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, from whom a firearm of the AKM type was also taken.
According to the indictment, another victim stated that he saw a group of people, including two naked women, moving towards the police station, armed with firearms, sticks, pitchforks, bottles containing gasoline, animal tails and a flag of the MPLT, having fired at his car and the projectiles damaged the rear and side windows of the right rear door.
The indictment emphasizes that "the defense and security forces reacted to the action of the co-accused, resulting in the death and injury of those involved".
It also points out that Zeca Mutchima and eight co-accused claimed to be president and members of the MPLT, who paid a monthly membership fee of 500 kwanzas, with the organization's goal being "to divide angolan territory into Angola and Lunda Tchokwe."
"The co-accused knew that to hold a public demonstration requires authorization from the competent authority, even knowing this, they used firearms, homemade bombs, machetes, pitchforks, sticks, and their action caused the death of people, injuries to the offended, damage to property, they acted freely, deliberately and knowingly," the indictment states.
Against the co-defendants militate the circumstances of premeditation, pact among more persons, committed by more persons, surprise, road, night, superiority by reason of the weapon, and accumulation of crimes.
The case, with six foreign co-accused, all from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has 22 declarants.
The Angolan authorities' version pointed, at the time, to the existence of six dead among the protesters and wounded among the defense and security forces, but these figures are contradicted by MPLT leaders and civil society organizations, which indicate between a dozen and more than 20 deaths.
Along with this case against the protesters, another criminal case has also been brought against members of the defense and security forces.
