São Vicente was sentenced, on March 24, 2022, to nine years in prison for the crimes of embezzlement, tax fraud and money laundering, as well as the payment of compensation of 500 million dollars.
The businessman's Swiss defense lawyers, François Zimeray and Jessica Finnelle, appealed to the UN at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in March 2021, six months after the businessman was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement and money laundering crimes. of capital.
In the definitive opinion released this Monday, which maintains the conclusions of the preliminary version dated late last year, the United Nations group of experts concluded that the detention violated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil Rights and Politicians and ask the Angolan authorities for their “immediate release”.
The same document also calls for compensation and an impartial investigation into the conditions under which the trial was conducted.
“The opinion describes, over 16 pages, the conditions of unjustifiably prolonged detention, violation of the right to an independent and impartial trial, violation of the presumption of innocence, denial of defense rights and numerous other violations of international treaties and laws of human rights”, points out in the statement from the lawyers who consider that this “courageous decision represents a decisive turning point”.
According to São Vicente's defense, the consequences of the opinion are considerable both in terms of processes initiated, ongoing or closed in Angola, as well as in other countries: “They are illegal and liable to be declared null and void”.
In the opinion, the working group expressed concern about São Vicente's physical and mental state, as well as the fact that he was imprisoned during the covid-19 pandemic, without access to adequate medical care.
On the other hand, the complexity of the case and the lack of time and conditions given to the defense to consult the case against São Vicente are also highlighted.
The former owner of the AAA insurance company was found guilty of crimes of embezzlement, money laundering and tax fraud, through an alleged embezzlement of 900 million dollars from Sonangol.
At the time, the judicial authorities ordered the seizure of assets belonging to the Portuguese-Angolan businessman, and the freezing of bank accounts was also requested.
