"Contrary to what is now alleged by the nationalized company Unitel S.A., the loans from Unitel S.A. to Unitel International Holdings BV were not approved or signed solely by Isabel dos Santos", reads a note sent to Lusa, in which an official source from the Angolan businesswoman adds that "these loans were subject to collegial approval by the General Shareholders' Meeting of Unitel S.A. in 2014, and were also signed by three members of the Board of Directors".
At issue is the decision of British judge Robert Bright, who decided on Wednesday to freeze around 580 million pounds (670 million euros) controlled by Isabel dos Santos, in a case filed against Unitel International Holdings.
In response to the court decision, this official source says that "Isabel dos Santos never received payments, nor dividends, nor did she ever benefit from salaries from Unitel International Holdings BV", and highlights that "the civil action taking place in the London Court deals with a preventive measure, that is, a Precautionary Measure (freezing) at the request of Unitel S.A., a company nationalized by the Angolan State in October 2022, which now claims that the aforementioned loans were not duly approved and that Isabel dos Santos was the only one would benefit from Unitel International Holdings BV".
The main action in the London court, they point out, "will only begin in 2024".
The businesswoman guarantees that "the entire value of the loans granted by Unitel S.A. to Unitel International Holdings BV was used to acquire the shares of telecommunications operators Unitel T+ Cabo Verde, Unitel São Tomé and NOS Portugal, within the scope of the approved internationalization plan by the shareholders of Unitel S.A.".
Judge Robert Bright, of a British commercial court, announced on Wednesday that he had ordered the freezing of around 580 million pounds (670 million euros) controlled by Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, in a case brought against Unitel International Holdings.
"I see no obvious basis on which Isabel dos Santos' assets should be protected in this jurisdiction; there appears to be an obvious argument in favor of a worldwide freeze on her assets," argued judge Robert Bright, in the decision published by the British Supreme Commercial Court .
At issue is the case brought by Unitel, now controlled by the Angolan State, against Unitel International Holdings BV, based in the Netherlands, and against businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, who asked for the freezing of 580 million pounds, the equivalent of 670 million euros at today's exchange rate.
In the decision, the judge states that it is "highly desirable that Isabel dos Santos be required to declare her assets, in circumstances where Unitel does not know which, if any, assets are held by her and are not covered by seizure orders or freezes that are already in force".
Therefore, concludes, he does not accept "the principle that the other asset freezing orders mean that it is neither fair nor convenient for this court to decide on yet another order", as defended by the businesswoman, who says she is the victim of an "oppressive campaign".
The London court's decision follows a series of actions filed by the Angolan State and by public and private companies against the businesswoman since João Lourenço took office as President of Angola in 2017, and which also included other members of José's family Eduardo dos Santos, who governed Angola for almost 40 years.
