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Angola Ex-First Daughter Isabel Dos Santos Charged with Fraud

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Angola Ex-First Daughter Isabel Dos Santos Charged with Fraud 12 Friday International Friday, January 24, 2020 Angola ex-first daughter Isabel dos Santos charged with fraud Portuguese banker named in probe found dead LUANDA: Angola’s billionaire former first but poor southern African country and moving said Gros. Angola is still reeling from dos San- daughter Isabel dos Santos has been charged it abroad with the help of Western firms. tos’s kleptocratic rule during which key positions with money laundering and mismanagement The “Luanda Leaks” scoop, published on were awarded to his cronies and wealth amassed during her stewardship of state-owned oil firm Sunday by some of the world’s top media out- in the hands of a select few. Lourenco has vowed Sonangol, as Luanda moves to try and bring her lets, has put pressure on the government of Por- to crack down on corruption and launched a home to face trial for looting the country’s cof- tugal, Angola’s former colonial ruler, and some large-scale purge of the dos Santos administra- fers. Documents leaked this week alleged the major corporations to explain what they know tion. He removed Isabel dos Santos from her top daughter of ex-president Jose Eduardo dos and what they did. Dubbed “the princess” by job at Sonangol shortly after he came to power. Santos plundered state revenues to build her Angolans, Isabel dos Santos was named Africa’s Prosecutors last month froze bank accounts fortune, estimated at $2.1 billion. richest woman by Forbes in 2013. She stopped and assets owned by Isabel dos Santos and her “Isabel dos Santos is accused of mismanage- living in Angola after her father stepped down in husband Sindika Dokolo as part of the probe. ment and embezzlement of funds during her 2017 for his anointed successor Joao Lourenco. Anti-corruption campaign group Global Wit- tenure at Sonangol and is thus charged in the Most of the ex-president’s family have moved ness alleged hundreds of companies, many Isabel dos Santos first instance with the crimes of money launder- abroad since he stepped down, and jet between based in tax havens such as the British Virgin Is- ing, influence peddling, harmful management ... homes in London, Dubai and Portugal. lands, helped her “to become Africa’s richest forgery of documents, among other economic Meanwhile, a Portuguese banker targeted in shareholder. According to Portuguese media re- woman while millions of Angolans live in extreme crimes,” prosecutor general Helder Pitta Gros an investigation of dos Santos has been found ports, da Cunha was the head of private banking poverty”. told a news conference late Wednesday. dead in his Lisbon home after apparently com- at Eurobic and the account manager of Isabel She has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing Investigations into Isabel dos Santos’s 18- mitting suicide, police said yesterday. The body dos Santos. and claims her family has been unfairly targeted month tenure as Sonangol head from June 2016 of Nuno Ribeiro da Cunha “was found last for political reasons. “Isabel dos Santos never were opened after her successor Carlos Sat- evening and all indications point to a suicide”, a All suspects living abroad directly expressed interest in collaborating with urnino raised the alarm about “irregular money Portuguese police spokesman told AFP. Da Gros said dos Santos was among five sus- the Angolan authorities,” said Gros, adding that transfers” and other dodgy procedures. Dos Cunha was cited in the “Luanda Leaks” docu- pects, all of whom were currently residing nobody should be immune from facing justice. Santos is accused of using her father’s backing ments. The Portuguese banker worked for Euro- abroad. “At the moment, the concern is to notify He has reportedly been working with his coun- to steal money from the oil- and diamond-rich bic bank in which Isabel dos Santos is the main and get them to voluntarily come to face justice,” terpart in Portugal on the case. — AFP DR Congo struggles Libya’s with ‘cohabitation’ neighbors in KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) talks in Algiers today marks a year since it began its first peaceful transition of power, but the road to the future is proving a bumpy ride. On Jan 24 2019, after election results that rivals bitterly con- ALGIERS: Libya’s neighbors came to- tested, opposition leader Felix Tshisekedi succeeded Presi- gether yesterday in Algiers as part of in- dent Joseph Kabila, who stepped down after 18 iron-fisted ternational efforts to find a political years at the helm. To relief in the DRC and beyond, the han- settlement to a crisis that threatens re- dover defused fears that sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest coun- gional stability. The meeting, organized try would plunge once more into civil strife. at Algeria’s initiative, began mid-morning But Tshisekedi’s promises of fast-track change, with rad- with statements from each of the partic- ical reforms to ease poverty and tackle corruption, have also ipants and continued behind closed dimmed. Kabila remains a powerful figure in the background, doors, an AFP journalist said. It brought with allies in the military and political supporters who wield together foreign ministers from Tunisia, a majority in the legislature. Creating a coalition took nine Egypt and Chad, as well as diplomats months of talks, leading to a sprawling government of 67 from Sudan and Niger. Mali sent a rep- members, two-thirds dominated by Kabila allies. resentative while Morocco was absent The arduously-created hybrid remains a seething source from the talks. of tension. Tshisekedi on Sunday even publicly aired the pos- German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, sibility of “firing” ministers - a warning aimed at the pro-Kabila who was set to brief the meeting on the ALGIERS: A group picture taken yesterday shows the ministers of Libya’s neighboring Common Front for the Congo (FCC) party - or even dissolving results of Sunday’s international summit states during a meeting held in the Algerian capital yesterday. — AFP the National Assembly to resolve persistent gridlock. The latter in Berlin, is also attending. Several African idea was bluntly rejected by one of his own allies, Jeanine countries had complained of being left eign Minister Sabri Boukadoum told yes- Security Council urged Libya’s warring Mabunda, the legislature’s speaker, who warned “any person out of the so-called Berlin process, dur- terday’s meeting. He said neighboring parties to reach a long-term deal paving who is ignorant of our basic law can be prosecuted for high ing which world leaders committed to countries had a role to play in fostering the way for a political process aimed at treason for deliberate violation of the constitution.” ending all foreign meddling in Libya and dialogue between the Libyan parties to ending the conflict. Algeria shares a bor- The National Assembly, elected on the same day as the upholding a weapons embargo. But the “put an end to the bloody clashes and der of almost 1,000 km with Libya, which presidential elections of December 30 2018, is mandated to outcome of the efforts remains uncertain. avoid leading the country towards the has been rocked by violence since the stay in office until 2023. Dissolving it would have the impact Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the Tripoli-based unknown”. Algerian President Abdel- 2011 toppling of dictator Muammar of an “atomic bomb,” warned Richard Moncrieff of the Inter- UN-recognized Government of National madjid Tebboune, who attended the Gaddafi by NATO-backed insurgents. national Crisis Group (ICG) think tank. “Tshisekedi has made Accord, and his rival Khalifa Haftar, who Berlin summit, said Wednesday: “There Mitiga, the Libyan capital’s only opera- threats, but his Plan A is to continue the coalition with Kabila.” controls eastern Libya, refused to meet are statements from Sarraj, statements tional airport, closed again Wednesday Among Congolese, Tshisekedi’s move to end fees for primary in Berlin and are not participating in the from Haftar’s side, which indicate that the evening after threats from pro-Haftar education has earned high marks for some, but others voice Algeria talks. only power capable of settling the prob- forces. Turkish President Recep Tayyip frustration at the endless talk about a better life. — AFP “The current situation in Libya cannot lem is Algeria.” Erdogan, who supports Sarraj’s GNA, is withstand an escalation,” Algeria’s For- The Algiers meeting came as the UN expected in Algiers Sunday. — AFP .
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