Angola recovers over USD 7 billion

Angola has recovered, up to date, USD 7.6 billion, as part of the process to combat corruption and assets recovery.

The announcement was made Friday by the director of the National Asset Recovery Service, Eduarda Rodrigues, at the opening ceremony of the seminar on Asset Confiscation.

Speaking at the event, designed for magistrates of High Courts, sponsored by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Angola (ONUDC), Eduarda Rodrigues said the country recovered, in addition to money, assets such as shareholdings, real estate and others.

According to the director, part of this money was used in the Municipal Investment and Intervention Programme (PIIM), earmarked for construction of schools and other infrastructure.

She also explained that the first recovery of assets resulting from a court judgement, related to the case of the three AAAs, initiated in the court of first instance, for which she said she had relied on a lot of international cooperation.

On the other hand, she explained that there are more than 12 billion dollars seized, i.e. under arrest, whose process is ongoing, awaiting a final decision, so that these should not yet be included in the amounts actually recovered.

The official explained that several assets have been identified and located in the country and abroad, in territories such as Switzerland, Bermuda, Singapore, Luxembourg, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates, still in the condition of seizure.

Addressing the opening session, the coordinator of the UNODC in Angola Manuela Carneiro, the Portuguese ambassador Francisco Duarte and the representative of the European Union in the country Isabel Emerson praised the government anti-corruption role in recent years.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)