The 'Lussati case', in which 49 defendants are involved, has as its visible face Major Pedro Lussati, assigned to the Military House of the Presidency of the Republic, considered the leader of the group, who was arrested in possession of millions of dollars, euros and kwanzas. stored in suitcases, crates and in several vehicles.
This week, the testimonies of generals such as Hélder Vieira Dias 'Kopelipa', listed among the two hundred witnesses of the process taking place at the Talatona Convention Center, were eagerly awaited.
Cited by Novo Jornal, 'Kopelipa', who led the Security House of the President of the Republic (at the time, José Eduardo dos Santos) for 22 years, denied having knowledge of illegal acts and assured that all activities were legal and supervised.
"I never became aware, while I was performing my duties, that funds had disappeared from the Security House of the PR. As far as I know, there has never been any disappearance of money", said the general, quoted on the Angolan newspaper's online website.
'Kopelipa' also denied having knowledge of the existence of "ghost" workers and payment of salaries to activists or funding from political parties (namely the Popular Liberation Movement of Angola - MPLA), as other witnesses said.
The general also stated that the Security House paid its employees only in kwanzas, and did not use euros or dollars.
Regarding the millions found in Pedro Lussati's possession, 'Kopelipa' guaranteed, according to Novo Jornal, that the money did not leave the Security House and challenged the Justice to "investigate where the money came from".
On Monday, Colonel Manuel Correia, co-defendant in the 'Lussati case', said in court that he monthly delivered bags of money to the homes of General Eusébio de Brito, a general in the reserve of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), who was, at the time of the facts, commander of the military region of Cuando Cubango and, years later, he was governor of Cuando Cubango, in the south of the country.
Manuel Correia, one of the 49 defendants in this mega case, said on 2 September, during his interrogation, that he "several times" delivered bags of money, with around 25 million to Generals Eusébio de Brito and António Mateus Júnior de Carvalho 'Dilangue'.
On Monday, Eusébio de Brito, heard as a witness, denied the accusations and said that all the logistics, administrative and financial issues of the Cuando-Cubango battalion were the responsibility of its commander, Manuel Correia.
The prosecution of the Public Ministry (MP) states that several civilians, including employees of the Bank of Savings and Credit (BPC), government officials of Cuando Cubango and even "ghost employees" were included in the battalion's payroll.
The defendants, including FAA officials and civilians, are indicted for crimes of embezzlement, criminal association, undue receipt of advantage, economic participation in business, abuse of power, fraud in the transport or transfer of currency abroad and others.
