Luanda — Deputy Attorney General Inocência Pinto said Wednesday that the institution is working on investigations so that those found guilty of the acts involving corruption in the private sector are convicted.

"Now the reality is different. Corruption in private sector is criminalised under the new Penal Code and we are working on these investigations so that those found guilty are effectively convicted", the magistrate said on the sidelines of the Regional Conference on Fight against Corruption.

She clarified that for a long time corruption in the private sector had not been criminalised, "corruption was only repressed or fought in the public sector, hence the quality of the civil servant was necessary for the commission of the crime of corruption.

As for the private sector, Inocência Pinto clarified that the State is the biggest client, for whom it is through the public procurement "that we find conducts likely to constitute acts involving corruption".

The magistrate of the Public Prosecutor's Office denied, however, the rumors that there was evasion of processes linked to public entities. "There has never been a process evasion (...)".

Prior to the appointment to the position of Deputy Attorney General, Inocência Pinto was, among others, national director for the Prevention and Combat of Corruption.