Former Deputy Attorney General during the last years of José Eduardo dos Santos' mandate, replaced in 2017 by João Lourenço, Hélder Pitta Grós acknowledged that the judicial system has changed, with the appointment of new protagonists who ensure the independence of the judiciary from the executive power.
In an interview with Lusa, questioned whether a criminal investigation of Isabel dos Santos would be possible, as is the case now, aiming among other things at the alleged mismanagement of the state oil company Sonangol, Hélder Pitta Grós was explicit: "I don't believe it. Because nothing ever happened and these facts were committed before 2017".
For the PGR, already appointed by João Lourenço, what changed was that "political power became more open".
"Because if political power is not interested in justice working, it has ways of doing so", as the executive "has the financial, material and human means", Pitta Grós said.
The lawsuit against Isabel dos Santos, following an audit by the management consultancy KPMG at Sonangol and the results of a major investigation by an international consortium of journalists, began because the businesswoman refused to clarify the doubts raised by the administration that succeeded her in November 2017.
The investigation, which has now been converted into criminal proceedings, "has not been opened in the sense of symbolism" of the fight against corruption, admitted the attorney general.
"It happened partly because of her, because if she had shown up when there was this inquiry maybe she could justify some things that are now in the criminal process," Pitta Grós said.
