The President of Angola said today that “it's time” for other countries to join Angola's efforts in the fight against corruption, announcing a request to return almost two billion dollars to several nations, including Portugal.
João Lourenço, who was speaking at the opening of the parliamentary year in the National Assembly, addressing the country with his message on the State of the Nation, guaranteed that the moralization of society and the fight against corruption remain at the top of the executive's priorities, valuing the results achieved, which have translated into 323 criminal cases, 47 of which are already on trial.
According to the President, since August 2023 the executive's actions have made it possible to recover real estate, shareholdings and financial resources valued at more than 1.8 billion dollars (1.65 billion euros), and the restitution of a further 1.9 billion dollars (1.74 billion euros) has been requested from Portugal, Bermuda, Switzerland, Singapore, Luxembourg, Namibia and the United Arab Emirates following court cases with final decisions.
The Attorney General's Office has ordered the seizure and requested the attachment of assets and financial resources in the order of 950 million dollars (870.5 million euros), a substantial part of which is abroad, João Lourenço continued, stressing that “Angola has made a great effort to fight corruption and recover assets”.
“It's time to demand that the various states, which were the destinations of the illicitly acquired resources, join the effort that our country has made and make these resources that belong to the Angolan people available so that they can be put at the service of the national economy,” declared the President, who was applauded effusively.
The head of state addressed the challenges in the justice sector, which include increasing availability and improving services and reforming the justice system, highlighting the inauguration of three new district courts and the hiring of new judges, prosecutors and court staff.
Another of the objectives is the creation of the General Coffer for the Courts, which he considered an “important instrument for affirming the administrative autonomy of the courts, within the framework of the principle of budgetary unity”, as well as the approval of the new statute for judicial magistrates and the Public Prosecutor's Office, as well as the new remuneration statute, in line with the permanent effort to improve working conditions.
João Lourenço said that “the most emergency phase” of the fight against corruption had been overcome, and that “more structured and coordinated action” would now follow, with an emphasis on staff training and preventive measures.
