Ocnus.Net

Africa
Interpol arrest warrant issued for Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos
By Fergus Shiel and Micael Pereira, ICIJ, 19/1/22
Nov 20, 2022 - 12:23:14 PM

Sources say the warrant relates to allegedly corrupt dealings exposed in ICIJ’s Luanda Leaks investigation

 

Dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s former authoritarian president José Eduardo dos Santos, was the subject of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists’ 2020 Luanda Leaks investigation.

Luanda Leaks reporting showed how insider deals, political connections and an army of Western enablers helped dos Santos amass a fortune.

The exposé revealed how the billionaire and her allies benefited from lucrative deals in diamonds, telecommunications, banking and real estate.

According to Portugal’s press Lusa news agency, Interpol issued the warrant following a request from Angolan prosecutors.

Polícia Judiciária sources in Lisbon said the Interpol warrant alleges dos Santos created corrupt financial mechanisms between 2015 and 2017.

The mechanisms, it alleges, were created “with the intention of obtaining illicit financial gains and whitewashing suspicious criminal operations.”

The sources said the warrant further alleges that dos Santos acted upon information she had obtained as then-head of Angola’s state oil company, Sonangol.

Lusa said dos Santos, 49, was wanted for alleged embezzlement, fraud, influence peddling and money laundering.

Dos Santos has previously denied benefiting unfairly from her father’s position as Angolan president or any other wrongdoing.

The Luanda Leaks investigation, which had a profound impact on Africa’s then richest woman and her family, uncovered dos Santos’ dealings in a network of companies, including Sonangol.



Source: Ocnus.net 2022