Luanda — Angolan head of State João Lourenço said Saturday in Luanda that the fight against corruption and impunity continues to be carried out by competent bodies with determination and objectivity.
In his State of the Nation Address, João Lourenço said the number of the cases initiated in the last five years was 527, of which 247 were completed.
He recalled that in the previous period (2012 to 2017) only 18 investigations had been opened in Angola for corruption, money laundering and related crimes.
On the other hand, he said that in the period between 2017 and September 2022, 2,511 cases were opened across the country for crimes of embezzlement, money laundering, corruption, economic participation in business and other financial crimes involving, among others, holders of public offices.
Of these cases, he underlined, 2,37 are under preparatory investigation and 474 have already been sent to the courts, of which 40 sentences.
Asset declarations
João Lourenço reported that between 2012 and 2017 only 188 asset declarations were registered by the holders of public offices and other persons required by law.
However, in the last five years, 3, 635 asset declarations were forwarded to the Attorney General's Office (PGR).
Asset recovery
He put at around 5.6 billion dollars the recovery of amounts embezzled from the treasury.
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In his speech, the president mentioned that in the period between 2019 and September 2022, the assets and values seized stood at US$15 billion, of which US$6.8 billion were seized in Angola and the remaining abroad.
Justice
The president highlighted the approval of the constitutional revision law which, among other aspects, set criteria for the restitution of the powers of the Executive by National Assembly and the near completion of the legislative package for the implementation of the local authorities in Angola.
He also spoke of the approval of legislation aimed at strengthening the guarantees of citizens and the justice system, with stress to the codes of the Administrative Litigation Process, Administrative Procedure, the Legal Regime of the Responsibility of the State and other Public Collective Persons, the new Organic Law on the Regime of Organisation and Functioning of the Courts of Common Jurisdiction and of Appeal, among other diplomas.
The statesman said that currently there are ten district courts in the country and three courts of appeal are in operation in the provinces of Luanda, Huíla and Benguela.
The president's speech marked the beginning of the V Legislature of the National Assembly (Angolan Parliament).
