Vice-president of Angola, Manuel Vicente must be investigated

According to information provided by Portuguese state prosecutor General’s office in Lisbon, the Vice President of the Republic of Angola, Manuel Vicente is not living up to the democratic values and rule of law because of his involvement in allegations of money laundering and corruption. More here.

 Faced with these accusations, rather than cooperate with Portuguese authorities, Angolan authorities chose to ignore the charges that involves not only the Vice-President of Angola, but also other Angolan government officials such as general Manuel Hélder Vieira Dias Júnior and general Leopoldino Fragoso do Nascimento, only to mention few.

This attitude from Angola government proves once again that, due to the lack of separation of powers in Angola, the judicial system is incapable of investigating individuals who are accused of serious crimes such as money laundering and corruption.

Nonetheless, faced with this reality, without prejudice, Friends of Angola (FoA) recommends that the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic of Angola, fulfill their role and investigate these charges against everyone who is alleged to be involved in this crime, regardless of their political or military position.

This recommendation by FoA is based on two reasons: First, it is a constitutional right that civil society scrutinizes state agents, and that is what we are doing. Second, the

law gives the PGR the power to investigate serious allegations against all public officials.

An impartial investigation about serious crimes such as money laundering and corruption in Angola will strengthen the relation between the people and Angolan authorities as well as the democratic system that remains fragile in Angola.

Washington, April 17, 2017.

Florindo Chivucute

Executive Director