At the time of the preparatory instruction, the also former director of the Office of Revitalization and Execution of Institutional Communication and Marketing Administration (Grecima) made it known that he tried to negotiate with PGR the depreciation of bank credits that he had, since their payment depended on the sale or rental of property. However, the attorney who was dealing with the preparatory instruction refused the agreement, leaving the credits to Manuel Rabelais.
Cited by Angop, Manuel Rabelais also made it known that half a year before the 2017 elections, the then President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos, asked the cabinet to prepare reports to facilitate the process of handing over portfolios to the President to be elected. The accused also denied being responsible for the lack of reports on Grecima's activity in the Security House of the President of the Republic.
Manuel Rabelais also stressed that after the elections, he took care to present the office's facilities to Luís Fernando, the current Secretary for Institutional Communication and Press Affairs of the President of the Republic.
He pointed out that Hilário Santos, also a defendant in the case, was accredited by the office to establish contacts with the banks and recruit the companies that should acquire the foreign currency and explained that Hilário Santos was not paid by Grecima, for collaborating sporadically with the office, since he was a permanent employee of Rádio Nacional de Angola.
Manuel Rabelais is accused of the crimes of embezzlement on a continuous basis, violation of the 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.
The trial will resume on February 8 next year, because the sessions were interrupted due to the vacations of the festive season and reasons related to the internal activity of the court.
