The Attorney General of the Republic, Hélder Pitta Groz, announced on Thursday in Luanda the holding of auctions for the sale of real estate assets, seized as part of the ongoing fight against corruption in the country since 2017.
Hélder Pitta Groz, who was speaking on the sidelines of the “Workshop on asset confiscation for magistrates of Angola’s higher courts”, without specifying the number of properties to be auctioned, stressed that some production units linked to the industry will be privatized.
According to the latest data, Angola has so far recovered more than US$7 billion as part of the process of combating corruption and recovering assets.
Part of this money is being used for the Investment and Intervention in Municipalities Program (PIIM), for the construction of schools and other social infrastructure.
However, in the same period, the seizure of monetary values, shareholdings, real estate and other movable assets worth more than US$12 billion were seized and requested, which are awaiting a court decision.
Regarding those assets recovered abroad, the magistrate said that the process is going through the legal procedures, because “when there is a seizure, in principle there is already an imposition, therefore, it is indifferent whether there is collaboration or not.”
He said that the recovery of assets outside the country requires international cooperation and are mechanisms with their own rules and legislation, whose resolution takes a certain period of time, stressing that there is openness ‘for continuous dialogue and I believe that we will be in a position to give some more credible information later’.
As for the cases of the former Vice-President of the Republic, Manuel Vicente, and the former CEO of Sonangol, Isabel dos Santos, the prosecutor said that the processes are open and in secrecy.
“We should not publicize what is being done when the process is under investigation or investigation. We are working and there are processes that are more complex than others that need more institutional cooperation,” he stressed.
UN
The United Nations coordinator in Angola, Zahira Virani, at the opening of the seminar, highlighted the Executive for its commitment to combating illicit financial flows, corruption and economic crime and demonstrated efforts to assume regional leadership in this global fight.
She praised the path that Angola has taken in combating economic crime, recalling that the United Nations will continue to support the country’s efforts to build equitable, sustainable and inclusive development for all.
She congratulated the PGR for being awarded, this October, by the Inter-Agency Asset Recovery Network for Southern Africa (ARINSA), as the institution that most recovered and committed itself to preventing and combating corruption, economic crimes and financial.
For Paulo Simões, from the European Union Policy section in Angola, the courts have a crucial role in the Asset Confiscation system, as their intervention requires complex basic technical preparation and appropriate coordination with other institutions in dealing with these issues.
Angola has made significant progress, he said, and demonstrated exemplary ownership, accompanied by a firm desire to strengthen and protect itself in these matters and to coordinate with other countries, neighbors and international partners.
He argued that it is not enough to just pursue, capture and punish criminals, but also to create management and application mechanisms for these recovered assets, so that they can be applied again in the Sustainable Development sectors, as recommended by the United Nations.
The workshop is another activity that is part of the Project to Support the Strengthening of the National Asset Confiscation System in Angola, financed by the European Union (EU), and aims to develop an effective system to combat illicit financial flows and contribute to greater economic growth and poverty reduction in Angola.
Training in this field allows judges to share knowledge, experiences and challenges with the aim of developing a common approach, based on the law and best international practices.
This workshop aims to improve the knowledge of all Magistrates of the Superior Courts of Angola, namely the Supreme, Constitutional and Relation Courts so that they can better decide in first instance processes and asset confiscation appeals.
This initiative is in line with the recommendations of the Eastern and Southern African Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG), which encourages Angola to continue to recover the proceeds of all underlying money laundering crimes.
Source: Angop