"If it is true that she lives in Dubai, it is a matter for the UAE and Interpol," PGR spokesman Álvaro João told Lusa.
The spokesperson responded this way when asked about news according to which the attorney general had recently been to Dubai to try to arrest the businesswoman, targeted in a "red alert" by Interpol.
A "red notice" is a request from a State – in this case, Angola – to Interpol member countries to locate and provisionally arrest a person, with a view to extraditing, surrendering or similar legal action.
"States are sovereign, they may or may not comply, judging by the interests at stake. But the issue is not centered on Isabel dos Santos [the target of several lawsuits], but on the various processes connected to the UAE", underlined Álvaro João.
Asked whether Angola had started any extradition process for Isabel dos Santos, the same official replied that "it is not necessary", as it is Interpol that has the mission to carry out the arrest.
"The extradition request only begins when the person concerned is arrested," he added.
According to the spokesman for the PGR, Pitta Gróz has traveled to several countries to strengthen cooperation with similar institutions, within the scope of existing bilateral and multilateral agreements, including Portugal, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, among others.
"About three weeks ago, he was in the UAE to deal with current issues of common interest, due to the fact that the Attorney General's Office is the central authority for international judicial cooperation in criminal matters. issues strictly linked to the alleged extradition of Isabel dos Santos will be addressed", he declared.
Álvaro João also said that, although there is no extradition agreement between both States, under the terms of international law the principle of reciprocity is in force: "If the requesting State does not proceed with plausible reasons, tomorrow, equally, its requests will not would be served by this State".
The Angolan justice system has resorted on several occasions to the collaboration of the Portuguese authorities, and those of other countries, due to judicial processes that are being processed in Angola and internationally, the most mediatic being those aimed at Isabel dos Santos, daughter of the former president, José Eduardo dos Santos.
Several shareholdings in companies and bank accounts of the Angolan businesswoman were frozen or seized, in Angola, Portugal and in other jurisdictions where she is the subject of legal proceedings.
Isabel dos Santos has been the target of corruption allegations for years, including allegations that the businesswoman and her husband, Sindika Dokolo, who died in October 2020, embezzled nearly 1 billion dollars in public funds from companies in which they had acquired stakes during his father's presidency, including oil giant Sonangol.
The daughter of Angola's former president, who died in July last year, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
