“Criminal proceedings are being initiated, they are undergoing preparatory investigation”, said the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic, Pedro Mendes de Carvalho, on the sidelines of a workshop on financial investigations and money laundering taking place this week in Luanda .
The person responsible did not specify the duration of this phase, as “it depends on the steps that will be taken”, as it is still an investigation phase.
“It is the first phase in which evidence is collected and then it will be decided whether to accuse or close the case”, added the national director of Investigation and Criminal Action and national director of Prevention and Combating Corruption of the PGR.
Since 2022, the Angolan authorities have assumed that they are working on a case against the former boss of Sonangol and former vice-president, who enjoyed legal immunities for public office holders for five years, after his departure from the executive, at the time led by former head of state José Eduardo dos Santos, which expired in September 2022.
In 2018, Portugal began a process known as "Operation Fizz", in which the former vice-president was accused of having corrupted the Portuguese prosecutor Orlando Figueira, causing tension between the two countries, which was resolved after the case relating to Manuel Vicente was transferred to Angola.
The former strongman of the state oil company and 'number two' of former President José Eduardo dos Santos, now deceased, are suspected of being linked to corruption and money laundering schemes when he held office at Sonangol.
