afrol News / MediaFAX, 20 November - 37-year-old Nyimpine Chissano, the oldest son of Mozambique's ex-President Joaquim Chissano, has died of a heart attack, according to several sources. The Mozambican press earlier had put Nyimpine Chissano in connection with organised criminality, including the murder of Carlos Cardoso, founder and editor of the influential daily independent 'Media-Fax'.

Nyimpine had made international headlines as a president's son accused of standing behind the murder of an independent journalist. Mozambican media still accuse him of standing behind the murder plot.

The thus Attorney General of Mozambique, Joaquim Luis Madeira, in the 3 November 2002 edition of 'Media-Fax' announced that Nyimpine was under investigation for the murder of Mr Cardoso. But he advised media against convicting the President's son, saying "a criminal responsibility is not assumed. It is proven. We want facts. If it is true that Nyimpine is involved in the Cardoso case, he will be sentenced. Nobody is above the law."

The daily 'Media-Fax' was the first media to reveal the supposed involvement of Nyimpine in the death of Mr Cardoso. The media talked to criminal elements involved in the murder, claiming the President's son had been "directly interested in the death of Cardoso." Digging deeper into these accusations, 'Media-Fax' Marcelo Mosse, Kok Nam and Fernando Lima found themselves threatened by undisclosed persons.

Nyimpine reacted strongly to these accusations, which never were proven in a Mozambican court. He filed a case against the journal 'Metical', property of the heirs of Mr Cardos. Found guilty in slandering, 'Metical' was sentenced to pay a US$ 70,000 fine to Nyimpine, which led to the bankruptcy and closure of the publication.

Nyimpine Chissano also made his way as a businessman with considerable success, his economic interests including the company Expresso Tours. Cheques from this company were presented as proof in the Cardoso case as payments made by Nini Sata to Anibalzinho. The former had been investigated for banking scandals by Mr Cardoso while the latter was found guilty as the assassinator of Mr Cardoso by a Maputo court.

By staff writers

© afrol News / MediaFAX

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