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Defense

Major Pedro Lussati says he is “scapegoat” for hybrid war between superiors

Major Pedro Lussati said this Monday that he is being used as a scapegoat in a "hybrid war" between superiors and asked for the return of his assets of more than 100 million dollars.

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According to Pedro Lussati, accused in the media Lussati case, the amount of the 2021 series, held in his possession, came out of a commercial bank legally.

"This series [of kwanzas], I went to the bank to raise and it was raised through companies. But I understand that the intention is just for me to be used as a scapegoat, this is a hybrid war where I am a scapegoat", said this Monday Pedro Lussati, in court.

"The groups that are fighting each other, some are on one side and others on the other side, but Pedro Lussati is in the middle and is being used as a scapegoat. In this hybrid war I know I will not win, because I am just a major, an insignificant one", he stressed.

Lussati, a major of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) considered to be the leader of a group that, according to the prosecution, defrauded the State of millions of dollars, was heard this Monday, as part of the oral arguments of the defense and the Public Ministry.

The major, one of the 49 defendants in the case, said he was an honest businessman, whose investments began in 1998, mentioning that at the time he had sold land worth 10 million euros in Talatona, a prime area south of Luanda.

"I want to say here that the facts about which the money that was found in my house is not mine is false. What is happening here is more intimidation, I am being attacked, vandalized, without even clothes, my image on television was vandalized", he fired.

He regretted not having access to his possessions, including his clothes, considering that the uniform of the Angolan prison services is dirty and smells bad.

Pedro Lussati is the only defendant in the case to appear in court, where the trial began on 28 June.

Regarding the bags of money held in his possession, between dollars, kwanzas and euros, the FAA major said that they were seven bags, which also contain important documents, noting that the seized money is part of his assets, valued at more than 100 million dollars, and also from its partners.

"What I have in the United States, Portugal and elsewhere is mine and has always been, that money from the 2021 series is my money, I've never robbed any bank, and you shouldn't associate my money with situations that have nothing to do with it", he said.

"This is a trap they made against me", fired Pedro Lussati, who is accused of "overcharging" payroll and being part of a "fraudulent scheme" in the Security House of the President of the Republic, where he was an employee.

"As an officer in the Security House [of the President of the Republic] I never had authority or autonomy, nor in the UGP [Presidential Guard Unit]. At the UGP I was a soldier, I was an operating room officer, while I was already an engineer at that time", he explained.

In his allegations, the also considered "millionaire major" said he was just an official who printed salary sheets, on the order of his boss who had a spreadsheet that contained financial limits and monthly and annual budget plans.

"I've been building my heritage since 2001, my heritage never has anything to do with the Casa Militar, it's one thing to associate my money with a simple payroll", he said.

"[The Security House of the President of the Republic] has nothing to do with me, in fact the Military House owes me, because I am carrying a cross that I should never have carried", he lamented, adding: "In the Military House there are more than 10 generals, it has bosses, directors, advisors, consultants, many of them are responsible for budget management, but they are not here, only Lussati is targeted".

"I'm sorry to be vandalized at this level, but I've forgiven everyone who does this, they are bosses, they have power, and they talked to me (...)", he commented.

Pedro Lussati also explained that part of that seized money belongs to his foreign partners, "who can claim the same at any time".

Therefore, he argued: "I advise that justice has to be done, but associating my money with the Casa Militar is not fair, if it is that money it is to be forgotten".

Money in this business world, he stressed, is not just yours, "it belongs to others."

"When someone thinks that the money belongs only to Pedro Lussati, they are wrong, that money they found in my house, if they didn't arrest them, I can prove by documentary means, whose bags are in the possession of the PGR [Prosecutor General's Office]", said yet.

Regarding the luxury clothes and watches found in his apartment, Lussati said that most of them received from friends, without paying, guaranteed to have limited-edition things.

"There are limited edition things that only I have, many watches I didn't pay for, companies in Switzerland give me a watch that costs a million, I didn't pay", he justified, in the same way that he said he had coats worth 100 thousand euros that you didn't pay.

"That's why I apologize if I made a mistake at some point, but at the Casa Militar I didn't do anything", he guaranteed.

He also said that he always had money, that he always liked the "good life" and that he never had to expose himself on social media because he was "a serious man".

"Because I'm serious, my seriousness is not messing with the payroll, that's insignificant money. In fact, I don't like little money, that's my problem", he admitted.

"I ask you to return my things, my freedom, everything that was found in my house is mine, I got it with my work, I don't exchange dollars, I'm a businessman", concluded Pedro Lussati, who also complained about the "violation" of all terms of preventive detention.

According to the MP, in his allegations, Major Lussati and the other co-defendants acted "willfully and knowingly" at the time of the facts, between 2008 and 2018, and "each worked at their level" to defraud the State.

The defendants, including officers of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA) 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 to the abroad, illicit introduction of foreign currency into the country, illegal currency trade, prohibition of cash payments, retention of currency, forgery of documents, money laundering and assumption of false identity.

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