Spanish justice has closed the investigation into the death of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, confirming that it was due to natural causes, according to a decision by a Barcelona court released Tuesday.
The decision of a court in Barcelona, in the Spanish region of Catalonia, closed the case and concluded that José Eduardo dos Santos died on July 8 in that city of “exclusively natural causes”, as the initial conclusions of the autopsy said. had determined.
The inquest was opened following a complaint by some children of the former president of Angola, who raised the possibility that their father had died as a result of negligence in the care of him by the personal physician and last wife, Ana Paula dos Santos.
In Tuesday’s decision, quoted by the EFE, Europa Press and AFP news agencies, the judge stated that “the lack of evidence of said crime, given the final autopsy report and the health documents included in the file, has led to the provisional closure.” and the racks of the case”.
“There are no elements from which we can conclude that he did not receive care at some point”adds the decision of the Barcelona court.
Lawyers for the eldest sons of the former president of Angola, led by ‘Tchizé’ dos Santos, filed a criminal complaint in July alleging violations of “failing to help duty” and “disclosure of secrets”.
Last August 17, Spanish justice concluded that José Eduardo dos Santos had died of natural causes and ordered the delivery of the corpse to the widow.
José Eduardo dos Santos’s sons appealed these decisions, as “although the judicial autopsy concluded that the death of the former president of Angola was natural”, there was “evidence” that Ana Paula dos Santos and José Eduardo dos Santos’ personal physician, João Afonso, did not “take all necessary and timely measures to ensure his full health” and that they also disclosed “very sensitive information” about his condition to the Angolan and Portuguese media.
“All this in conjunction” with the government of Angola, with the aim of “speeding up the transfer of the body”, which must take place before the Angolan presidential election on Aug. 24, the sons argued.
In this context, the lawyers have again requested the hearing by the judge of Ana Paula dos Santos and João Afonso as “persons under investigation”.
In response, the Spanish judiciary has closed the case, according to the decision announced on Tuesday.
Regarding the disclosure of “highly sensitive information” about José Eduardo dos Santos’s health to journalists, the court states that the condition of the former president of Angola was publicly known and that the sources of the news relied on by the complainants, are not known.
On August 20, Spanish justice handed over the body of José Eduardo dos Santos to Ana Paula dos Santos, who was also claimed by the sons of the former president of Angola.
The body was taken to Angola and the funeral took place on August 28.
José Eduardo dos Santos succeeded Agostinho Neto as president of Angola in 1979 and left office in 2017, where he held one of the longest presidencies in the world, punctuated by allegations of corruption and favoritism.
He resigned as a re-candidate in 2017 and the current president, João Lourenço, succeeded him in office, having also been elected by the MPLA, a ruling party since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
Source: DN
