The Attorney General of the Republic of Angola promised on Monday that the process against Isabel dos Santos will go ahead, even if the businesswoman does not make statements under the international arrest warrant requested by the Angolan authorities.
Helder Pitta Grós, who was speaking in Luanda on the sidelines of a meeting of the Board of Directors, said he did not know the whereabouts of the daughter of the former Angolan president and said that there were several attempts to listen to the businesswoman who, in an interview with the radio station German DW and through its social networks has always insisted that it is available to clarify the “falsehoods” about it, saying that there is no interest in listening to it.
“On the part of the Public Ministry there were a series of procedures in the sense that it was notified and had knowledge of what was happening,” said Pitta Grós, who confirmed that an international arrest warrant was issued earlier this month and that the Angolan authorities they are working with Interpol to track down Isabel dos Santos.
“These international arrest warrants are always delivered to Interpol. Here in Angola we have an Interpol representation and it was this representation that carried out all the necessary procedures to the Interpol headquarters which, from there, will be disseminated to all the countries that are part” of the organization, he said.
The order was only issued now, two years after the preventive seizure of the assets, accounts and shares of Isabel dos Santos in Angola and the Luanda Leaks scandal, as the authorities expected the businesswoman to be available to respond.
“We always count on her to respond to notifications, we were giving her the opportunity to respond, we did not want to rush anything, we have no interest in things happening with the issuance of arrest warrants, but after almost four years of having the process stopped , stagnant, that’s why we decided to go ahead,” he said.
Asked about the supposed availability of Isabel dos Santos to provide clarifications, Pitta Grós replied: “I have never met anyone who has given statements through social networks, it would be the first case. If she is available, then she can say what is specific.” . place where she is and we can send a letter rogatory to that country so that it can be heard. This happened in the Netherlands, it was not accepted, I don’t know where that availability will be.”
Helder Pitta Grós confirmed, on the other hand, that the PGR has maintained contacts with Isabel dos Santos’ lawyers, but stressed that, in criminal proceedings, the interrogation must be done by the person himself, who may be accompanied by a lawyer.
Contrary to what the eldest daughter of José Eduardo dos Santos, who died in July this year, said in this interview, Helder Pitta Grós reaffirmed that Isabel dos Santos is the subject of a criminal proceeding that is ongoing and that in 2018 there was a first notification attempt.
According to Helder Pitta Gros, “there was an attempt to notify her at her house in Morro Bento (Luanda)”, a notification that her maid received and which Isabel dos Santos did not sign.
That same day she left the country and since that date “several notifications have been delivered both to the law firm (which represents her) and to companies where we knew she had some relationship with Unitel or Zap. There was no response to these notifications. “he stressed.
The official added that, in April of this year, Isabel dos Santos was in the Netherlands and that the PGR, upon learning of this, immediately sent a letter rogatory to be notified of her status as accused, as well as to be interrogated by the dutch.
On the occasion, the daughter of the former Angolan president was located, “but she did not agree to sign the notice, let alone be questioned” and that same day she also left the country.
On the accusations of Isabel dos Santos, who denounces falsification of evidence and persecution by the Angolan government, the PGR challenged the businesswoman to present evidence in the process.
“If she has this evidence and wants to defend herself, it is in the process that she must do it, it cannot be on social networks or in the media that she is going to defend herself,” he said, promising that the fact of not being heard does not prevent the process continue.
“The new Criminal Procedure Code that recently entered into force allows the process to go to court in these cases,” he stressed, without specifying how long they will wait for a response from Isabel dos Santos.
“We are still waiting for Interpol’s response,” he continued.
Regarding the process of former vice president Manuel Vicente, Pitta Grós reiterated that he was legally protected for five years for having held public office, but after that “work will be carried out normally.”
Source: TSF
