The proposed law that amends the law that approves the Penal Code passed in its entirety and unanimously in the National Assembly with 160 votes in favor.
The amendments to the Penal Code were generally approved on April 25th, but the proposal was sent back to the plenary to correct inaccuracies, errors and insufficiencies to adapt it to the FATF recommendations.
"The evaluation of the diploma led to the discovery of a picture of insufficiencies, mistakes and inaccuracies and omissions to be resolved", argued, at the time, the Secretary of State for Human Rights and Citizenship, Ana Celeste Januário, referring that the change to the Penal Code it is also linked to the need to review the penalties for certain crimes.
The proposed amendment to the Penal Code increased the penalty imposed on citizens who practice, promote, encourage or facilitate the exercise of prostitution against minors to eight years of effective imprisonment, without the possibility of bail.
José Semedo, deputy of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), justified the favorable vote by saying that this was a sign of "unequivocal proactivity" in the search for effectiveness and efficiency of the national legal system.
The deputy of the Humanist Party of Angola, PHA, Florbela Malaquias, defended, in her declaration of vote, that Angolan legislation must reflect the seriousness of sexual crimes against minors in order to recognize the intense suffering of the victims and ensure that the culprits are severely punished.
Augusto Samuel, from the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), said that his party voted in favor because, with the adjustments, the changes will better serve "the legally protected interests of citizens who are ultimately the recipients of the criminal policy of the country".
The deputies also approved, as a whole and unanimously, the proposed laws amending the law on international judicial cooperation in criminal matters, the law on preventing and combating terrorism and the law on preventing and combating money laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
Four diplomas from the municipal package are also on the agenda of this fifth ordinary plenary meeting of parliament.
