The trial, which began on 28 June, has enrolled 49 defendants, officers of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) and civilians, including Major Pedro Lussati, at the time of the Chief of Finance of the musical band of the Casa Militar do Presidente Republic, accused of various crimes.
Faustino Muteka, Pedro Lussati's lawyer, contacted this Monday by the Lusa agency, declined to comment on the trial before presenting the closing arguments, which should open with him at 9:00 am on Tuesday.
The major is seen as the head of a group that processed salaries for the benefit of family and friends and was arrested in possession of millions of dollars, euros and kwanzas stored in suitcases, as well as several vehicles.
The defendants 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, illicit introduction of foreign currency into the country, illegal currency trade, prohibition of cash payments, currency retention, forgery of documents, money laundering and the assumption of false identity.
With more than 200 deponents listed, the former head of the Security House of former President José Eduardo dos Santos, General Hélder Vieira Dias "Kopelipa", stood out, who denied in court any unlawful acts carried out through that body, which he led for 22 years , ensuring 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 President of the Republic. As far as I know, there has never been any disappearance of money", the general told the court.
The Public Ministry's indictment states that several civilians, including employees of the Bank of Savings and Credit (BPC), government officials of the Cuando Cubango province and even ghost employees, were included in the battalion's payroll.
At his hearing, Colonel Manuel Correia, co-defendant in the Lussati case, told the court that he delivered monthly bags of money to the residences of General Eusébio de Brito, a general in the FAA reserve, who was, at the time, commander of the military region of Cuando Cubango and was, years later, governor of Cuando Cubango, south of the country, accusations that he denied when heard by the court.
