The fact was denounced this Wednesday by the activist and founder of Ufolo – Center for Studies for Good Governance, Rafael Marques, in São Tomé and Príncipe, in an intervention on the fight against corruption in Angola, as part of an international exchange on governance and the fight against corruption.
On the list of sanctions announced by the US last year, on December 9, World Anti-Corruption Day, three Angolan individuals were inscribed - Isabel dos Santos, daughter of former President José Eduardo dos Santos, and generals Manuel Hélder Vieira Dias Júnior "Kopelipa" and Leopoldino Fragoso do Nascimento – as well as their respective spouses and minor children.
"Another figure on whom the United States of America imposed sanctions, Amélia Maria Coelho da Cruz Nascimento [general Dino's wife], died six months earlier", said Rafael Marques, regretting that the Angolan State was "incapable of transmitting this information to the USA to remove the deceased from the sanctions list", where she remains to this date.
"The United States of America is an organized country and follows due process in an effort to help fight corruption in Angola. But it gets so confused that it penalizes one killed by corruption", said the journalist, stressing that the others sanctioned "were not subject of criminal charges in Angola", despite US sanctions being used "as an unofficial argument for freezing, in the country, even the salaries to which generals are entitled".
Rafael Marques points out that the two generals were also punished for their association with Chinese businessman Sam Pa, whose main associate was the former chairman of the Board of Directors of Sonangol, former vice president of the Republic and current MPLA deputy, Manuel Vicente, which has immunity and is exempt from sanctions.
He also questions the lack of response from the Attorney General's Office to the former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos, who wrote three times to the Attorney General expressing his willingness to provide statements and provide clarification on the case.
"Having never received any official response from the Prosecutor's Office, on November 24, 2021, Dos Santos sent a sworn letter to the Angolan justice, in which he recorded his clarifications, but the letter also continues to be ignored", said the journalist and director of the Maka Angola website.
He also mentioned the case of General Higino Carneiro, MPLA deputy, who spoke two years ago in an order for acts of corruption while governor of Luanda.
"In practice, however, his immunity was not withdrawn, none of his assets were seized, and the deputy remains seated in Parliament to legislate", lamented Rafael Marques, criticizing the "tragicomedy of the absurd" of the courts, which "stop exercising the their function and become mere garments of arbitrary voids".
The initiative brings together journalists, researchers and other actors from different countries in São Tomé to share experience in promoting good governance and fighting corruption, within the scope of the civil society project for transparency and integrity, financed by the European Union and Portuguese Cooperation.
