MAPUTO, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Mozambican government revealed here Thursday that the state has lost 610 million meticais (about 12 million U.S. dollars) due to corruption in 2017, which was 1.2 million U.S. dollars more than in 2016, and 155 people were detained for corruption offences.

"The majority of the defendants are state officials and agents who, in the performance of their duties, received bribes or have misused state resources for their own benefit," Cristovao Mondlane, a spokesperson for the Central Office for Combating Corruption (GCCC) said at a press conference.

According to Mondlane, the prosecutors have frozen several bank accounts and seized part of the illicit assets.

"From the total amount, the GCCC was able to recover 17.9 million meticais (about 300,000 U.S. dollars) and seized a property worth at 23.7 million meticais (400,000 U.S. dollars) and five vehicles," said the spokesperson.

Mondlane added that the amount recovered was much less than desired, because the country does not have a law on the recovery of assets.

"It is necessary that there be a special law for this and a specific office to recover lost assets in cases of corruption," he said.

The spokesman also admitted that the true amount could be higher and corruption tended to increase which is damaging the national interest of the country.

According to GCCC's observation throughout the country, central provinces of Nampula and Sofala and the capital city Maputo recorded the highest number of corruption cases.