"Those who shouldn't be afraid, each country can ask for the list of goods they want," said Welwitschea dos Santos, known as Tchizé dos Santos, commenting on the news that his name is on a list of Angolans whose property in Portugal was collected by Portuguese justice at the request of the Attorney General's Office (PGR) of Angola.
"We already know that President João Lourenço has a campaign of persecution against me," said Tchizé dos Santos, in a message sent to journalists, who refuses any political favor in building his financial empire, which is supported in the media sector. and banking.
"I have always been an entrepreneur, I founded two banks in Angola. Thank God, it was not with public money," she explained, saying she trusted justice.
"I'm not worried, if President João Lourenço wants to chase me down to 'Cochinchina', which he chases," added the businesswoman, who is married to a Portuguese citizen and claimed to have made several investments in Portugal, without listing them.
"There is free initiative and it is not yet forbidden for businessmen to invest outside the country", she stressed, considering that this "persecution is going to be expensive" for the executive.
The name of Tchizé dos Santos comes from a list handed over by the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action of Portugal to the Angolan authorities, which refers to a list of assets of Angolan citizens in the country and which are being investigated by Luanda.
A source linked to the case confirmed to Lusa the existence of a detailed report, with bank balances, real estate and stock market transactions.
According to the newspaper Correio da Manhã, this report follows a rogatory letter that the PGR delivered a year ago, which included a list of dozens of names, including Tchizé dos Santos' sister, Isabel dos Santos, which is being investigated by Angolan justice and that has several assets in Portugal, including direct or indirect holdings in companies.
Leopoldino do Nascimento ('Dino'), José Filomeno dos Santos - another son of the former president -, Manuel Hélder Vieira Dias ('Kopelipa') or João Maria de Sousa are other names on this list.
