Leopoldino do Nascimento and Dias Júnior, known as generals 'Dino' and 'Kopelipa', respectively, "are former government officials who stole billions of dollars from the Angolan government through embezzlement," reads at the press release in portuguese, distributed this Thursday in Washington.
In the text, the US Treasury Department says that those now sanctioned "conspired with other Angolan individuals and Sam Pa, designated by the Treasury [as the target of sanctions in April 2014] to divert funding from infrastructure development projects, including the use of phantom projects".
The text explains that the two former officials "are also suspected of having embezzled millions of dollars from Angolan infrastructure projects and then using their positions in the Angolan economy to protect themselves from the possibility of criminal charges."
Furthermore, the US also says that "as part of a military equipment deal, Dias Júnior negotiated with a third-country defense products manufacturer a large additional sum of money for other senior Angolan government officials."
The two angolans are the target of Executive Order 13818, which also covers four entities owned or controlled by Leopoldino Nascimento: Cochan S.A., Cochan Holdings LLC, Geni SARL, and Geni Novas Tecnologias S.A.
"The Office for the Control of Foreign Assets (OFAC) is also designating [to be the target of sanctions] an entity, Baia Consulting, owned or controlled by Dias Júnior, and his wife, Luísa de Fátima Giovetty", within the scope of this entity.
The sanctions enacted this Thursday imply that "all assets and interests in the property of the above persons who are in the United States or in the possession or control of US persons are blocked and must be reported to the OFAC", it adds further in the note.
In addition, "any entities that belong, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more to one or more blocked persons, are also blocked", and no asset may be traded or benefit from contributions or supplies of funds, goods or services involving the people sanctioned today.
The two Angolan leaders were members of the Presidency of the Republic, at the time of former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos and former vice president Manuel Vicente.
