In a statement sent this Thursday to Lusa, the businesswoman said that "contrary to what happened in Angola", with the seizure decreed at the end of December by the court in Luanda, in Portugal, "the courts decided to seize and freeze bank accounts, blocking any movement".
The situation, the press release continues, is having consequences on the management of companies, according to Isabel dos Santos.
"Preventing the operational and normal functioning of any organization, particularly in full compliance with their obligations to pay employees, the Tax Authority, Social Security and suppliers, and can not be charged to the administrations of companies or other criminal liabilities for failures of such payments, since they, if they occur, are not due to their will, but to the freezing of bank accounts," she said.
For the entrepreneur, the situation represents "a serious risk of value destruction for all stakeholders" of the companies in which she has an interest in Portugal.
The Public Prosecutor's Office requested the seizure of the bank accounts of the businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, "as part of a request for international judicial cooperation from the Angolan authorities", she confirmed on 11 February to Lusa, the Portuguese Attorney General's Office.
In the press release, Isabel dos Santos argues that this is "an inexplicable situation", with an "unfounded seizure of the various personal and corporate bank accounts in Portugal", which has meanwhile been the object of a request for opposition from the company's lawyers, but which "in practice is preventing them from moving through the various banks".
The businesswoman argues that in Angola, "the seizures have not prevented the payment of salaries, suppliers, taxes and social security", contrary to what she says is happening in Portugal.
"The companies that I own and work in Portugal are all registered in Europe and none of them are offshore, and they are duly capitalised, audited and operate under the strictest terms of the law", insists Isabel dos Santos, adding that by the end of 2019 "none of the companies owed a euro in wages, taxes or social security".
"This will naturally become another reality," she warns.
She adds that "everything" is being done to continue to comply with the financial partners, with all workers and "still before the State in what are tax obligations and social contributions".
"Therefore, and in view of the above, it is of capital importance for companies to be able to resume normal operations so that they can comply with all their obligations with all their stakeholders and all their workers", concludes Isabel dos Santos in the press release.
