Ver Angola

Defense

Carlos de São Vicente asks to impeach preventive custody and contests freezing of assets

The defense lawyers of Portuguese-Angolan Carlos de São Vicente asked this week to impugn the Angolan justice's decision to keep the businessman in preventive detention and contested the freezing of his assets, according to a statement by the family.

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"This week, St. Vincent's lawyers in Angola asked to challenge the decision to maintain the coercive measure of pre-trial detention," the family said in a statement sent to Lusa.

In particular, at stake is his condition as a chronic patient, suffering from diabetes among other health complications, "a situation incompatible with the absence of minimum conditions in Viana prison, especially at times of pandemic," he says.

Also according to the same note, this week Carlos São Vicente's defense contested the freezing of the assets and bank accounts of the businessman and his family, "by delivering two exposures in the courts".

In one of the expositions he asks for "the unfreezing of the assets" and in the other he asks for "the replacement of the faithful depositary of the more than 70 hotels of the AAA Group, requesting that the General Safe of the State be replaced by the administration of the Group".

It is recalled that 17 hotels of the Luso-Angolan businessman, who has been arrested by order of the Angolan justice, have been dedicated to the accommodation of Covid-19 patients, and "are at risk of closure," the note stresses.

A situation that, according to the family of Carlos São Vicente "stems from the Angolan government's inability to meet the needs of suppliers and hotel workers through the state coffers, as well as excessive delays in the payment of debts to suppliers and salaries in arrears to workers".

Furthermore, according to the statement, at the same time that the defense in Angola took the aforementioned steps regarding the freezing of assets in the courts in Switzerland, the lawyers of Carlos São Vicente "are preparing to appeal to the Supreme Court the decision of the court of the canton of Genéve, which decided on the freezing of 900 million dollars, as a result of the activity over many years in the insurance sectors for the oil and hotel and real estate activities.

As Christmas approaches, the businessman's family "intensifies their efforts" to free him from Viana prison, where he has been in pre-trial detention since September 22, "without having been cleared of the charges.

In addition, he considers that he is being the victim of "persecution" for reasons that he can only "see as of a political nature".

The relatives of the businessman, including his wife, Irene Neto, daughter of the first Angolan President, Agostinho Neto, and his son, Ivo São Vicente, were the target of the freezing of bank accounts and the seizure of assets of the AAA Group, one of the largest business groups in the country, operating in the area of insurance and hospitality, also refers to the statement.

In October the Angolan judicial authorities refused a request for the immediate release (Habeas Corpus) of businessman Carlos São Vicente.

A ruling of the Supreme Court of Luanda, dated October 7, dismissed Habeas Corpus' request filed by the defense of the businessman "for lack of foundation", so Carlos São Vicente remained in custody.

The "aspects exposed and that serve as a basis" for the request for immediate release "are not compatible with the requirements required by law for its establishment, and therefore it is not feasible to respond", because "providence can only take place" when there is an illegal, effective and current arrest, wounded by illegality", considered the judges who signed the decision.

The request "has as its object the state of health of the petitioner" and the habeas corpus injunction is "of an extraordinary and expeditious nature", aimed at responding swiftly to situations of manifest illegality of imprisonment, the magistrates said.

However, the facts adduced by the petitioner "do not in themselves constitute sufficient proof for the procedure of the request, and the Prison Institution is responsible for ensuring adequate conditions for his health", concluded the judges at the time.

The businessman Carlos de São Vicente was arrested on 22 September, in preventive custody, on suspicion of embezzlement and money laundering crimes, among others.

The Angolan judicial authorities ordered the seizure of several AAA group buildings belonging to businessman Carlos de São Vicente, who is also being investigated in Switzerland for embezzlement and money laundering.

The National Asset Recovery Service of the PGR issued a statement announcing the seizure of the AAA buildings, the IU and IKA hotels, located throughout the country, and the IRCA building on Rua Amílcar Cabral, in Luanda.

After the buildings, the PGR's National Asset Recovery Service announced the seizure of AAA Activos' 49 percent minority stake in Standard Bank, where the businessman was a non-executive director, having requested suspension of duties for the duration of the process.

The PGR also requested the freezing of accounts and seizure of assets of Irene Neto, daughter of the first Angolan President, Agostinho Neto, and wife of the businessman.

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