At the trial, the former media minister also said that some of the money was used to support various public and private media.
The former director of Grecima explained that the office was created with the purpose of improving the country's image: "The perception one had of Angola abroad was of a highly corrupt country, from the President of the Republic, members of the government, parliamentarians, courts and journalists".
In this sense, he said, Grecima sent letters to the BNA to facilitate the process of acquiring foreign currency to the Ministry of Social Communication, RNA, TPA, Angop, Edições Novembro, TV Zimbo and Semba Comunicação.
Contrary to the prosecution's accusation, he clarified that the office only used about 20 to 30 million euros to fulfill the objective of putting Angola on the positive side of public opinion.
Cited by Angop, the defendant indicated that of the money mentioned above, about 16 million euros were sent abroad. This money was used to pay several companies to provide services aimed at recovering the country's image.
An example of this, he said, was the work done with Euronews. The former director of Grecima explained that before 2017, that media had never made a positive news about Angola and, from then on, began to disseminate an image of a country capable of making any citizen proud.
For about two months, the station spent several programs to restore Angola's reputation. The programs were broadcast in 14 different languages and viewed by about 2,000 people worldwide, he elucidated.
Regarding the process of buying and selling BNA currency, Manuel Rabelais said he did not use it for personal benefit.
He also confirmed that he had given 40,000 euros to Hilário Santos, also targeted in the case. The former minister explained that Hilário Santos was assaulted, having been shot and needed to receive treatment.
He also revealed that he was responsible for an institution that did not have accounting services for carrying out a secret and confidential activity. According to the defendant, the accounts were presented orally to the then President José Eduardo dos Santos. "All the money transfer operations should be carried out with a secret character, without paper, without leaving traces and the rendering of accounts made verbally and only to him," he said.
Manuel Rabelais is accused of the crimes of embezzlement on a continuous basis, violation of plan and budget execution rules and money laundering, practiced between 2016 and 2017, when he still held the position of director of the former Grecima.
In the case, Hilário Santos, Grecima's then administrative assistant, is also accused. According to the indictment, Manuel Rabelais, assisted by Hilário Santos, is alleged to have turned the office never into a currency exchange office "by soliciting companies and individuals to deposit kwanzas in exchange for foreign moderates.
