Rafael Marques asks for an investigation into a deal involving a friend of the Minister of Transport

At issue is the acquisition of two buildings in Luanda, worth 114 million dollars, authorized by presidential order 159/21, to install public services of the Ministry of Transport and the Regulatory Agency for the Certification of Cargo and Logistics of Angola.

In the complaint addressed to the PGR, which Lusa had access to, the activist and journalist, who runs the complaint portal Maka Angola, understands that a business potentially harmful to the State is at stake.

Among the points it highlights are the inadequacy of one of the buildings for the intended function, the "overblown and excessive value of buying and selling" and the friendship and godlike relations between the minister and the seller, Rui Óscar "Ruca" Ferreira Saints Van-Dunem.

According to Rafael Marques, the Welwitschia Business Center (WBC), one of the properties purchased has 11 floors, the last two being occupied by two luxury apartments.

In addition to a ministry not serving "to be inhabited by its employees", the activist says that the WBC, whose construction began in 2011 has been on sale for several years, without success, for 45 million dollars.

"Therefore, the value of the deal now carried out, in the order of 91 million dollars, appears to be overblown and excessive. For example, the Chicala Building [also target of the same order], which has less than 4271 m2 of total area, but better location and more functionality for offices, costs 23 million dollars. In other words, for an additional 4271 m2 at the WBC, the Ministry of Transport pays a difference of 68 million dollars", he explains in the presentation addressed to the Attorney General, Helder Pitta Grós.

The journalist emphasizes that the WBC is owned by Transporte de Carga a Granel, Lda. (TCG), a company legally established on April 30, 1992, whose co-owner and managing director Rui Óscar Ferreira Santos Van-Dúnem, " close and childhood friend" of the Minister of Transport, Ricardo Viegas d'Abreu.

For Rafael Marques, the deal shows "signs of behavior that fall under the Public Probity Law", namely article 28, which prohibits the minister's intervention in matters in which there is some relevant interest, direct or indirect.

"There is clearly enough evidence of influence peddling, corruption, administrative improbity and violation of the laws of Public Probity and Public Contracting", he stresses, in the document, writing that participation is consistent with the defense of the credibility of justice.