The action follows the preventive seizure of bank accounts and holdings by the businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, her husband Sindika Dokolo and the manager Mário Leite da Silva, decreed by the Provincial Court of Luanda in December, indicated to Lusa a source from the Attorney General's Office (PGR).
On 31 December 2019, the Luanda Provincial Court ordered the preventive seizure of the personal bank accounts of Isabel dos Santos, Sindika Dokolo and Mário Leite da Silva at Banco de Fomento Angola (BFA), Banco Internacional de Crédito (BIC), Banco Angolano de Investimentos (BAI) and Banco Económico, in addition to the shares held by the three as beneficial owners in BIC, Unitel, BFA and ZAP Media.
The ruling at the time proved the existence of a claim by the defendants against the State of more than one billion dollars, a debt that the defendants would have recognised but claimed to be unable to pay, according to the document.
"The seizure was a precautionary measure, aimed at ensuring that there were assets to pay off the debt. At this stage of the proceedings, the parties will have the opportunity to present evidence to assert their claims or contest the charges against them," explained the same source.
Depending on the development of the action "the parties will be able to reach an agreement" on the settlement of the dispute, said the source of the OPG.
