The Criminal Investigation Service announced, on Thursday, the arrest of a man, belonging to a criminal network, who was working with the Portuguese and Brazilian embassies in Luanda, promising visas in exchange for money.
The man is suspected of being part of a group of people who remain in the vicinity of the embassies of these countries, in search of citizens seeking visas, promising to obtain them in exchange for 600,000 kwanzas.
"We are available to cooperate with the Angolan authorities in the ongoing investigations. We have every interest in the thorough and rapid clarification of these allegations", the Portuguese consul general in Luanda, Cláudia Boesch, told Lusa, adding that general-consulate officials were not heard.
The same official stated that she has not had, so far, "any indication of involvement of employees of the staff of this consulate general in practices of this nature", and all complaints that are transmitted are analyzed.
The consular post is aware of the abusive use of scheduling platforms - both the VFS Visa Center and the online scheduling platform for consular acts - as well as the existence of "intermediaries" who operate in the vicinity of the different diplomatic missions and entice applicants visa, but has so far not identified "any indication" that there are civil servants involved in these acts.
"All complaints transmitted to us by users are treated seriously, being duly investigated and, when relevant and credible, forwarded to the competent Angolan authorities", underlined Cláudia Boesch.
Asked if the consulate maintains confidence in the company VFS, the diplomat replied that the Visa Center - VFS is an external service provider with which Portugal collaborates in different countries, maintaining the positive assessment of its provision.
"The Visa Center - VFS accepts visa applications, without any intervention in the analysis of the processes, or in the decision making regarding the granting of visas", she added.
The Brazilian Consulate recently announced the end of the need for scheduling to start the visa application process with the VFS, which came into force on May 17, a decision that Portugal will not follow, at least for now.
"Visa applications for Portugal are, at the moment, submitted by prior appointment, made through the scheduling platform managed by the Visa Center - VFS, and the end of this modality is not foreseen", said the consul-general.
Cláudia Boesch guaranteed, however, that "security measures" have been introduced to combat the abusive use of scheduling platforms, namely the appropriation of vacancies and "the further reinforcement of human and technological resources of the consulate general" is being analyzed.
