Luanda — The trial of the former Angolan ambassador to Ethiopia, Arcanjo do Nascimento, accused of embezzlement, passive corruption and money laundering, began on Wednesday at the Supreme Court in Luanda.
On this first day, the defendant and 16 declarants were heard for the production of evidence.
The accusation presented by the Public Prosecutor, Manuel Dias, points out that the former ambassador, in the interest of improving the conditions of the Ethiopian mission, decided to build three buildings, namely the chancellery, protocol residence and the official residence for the ambassador representing the Angolan State.
To this end, he said, the defendant was given certain powers to hire the contractor, budgeted at 21 million, 981 thousand, 463 US dollars (USD) and 22 cents.
The defendant, he stressed, was also empowered, on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, on December 24, 2014, to sign the contract with an Ethiopian construction company, called 'A Construções', whose owner is also a declarant in the process.
The main building of the Embassy included a conference center, nine apartments and offices, whose construction was scheduled for 24 months, with an expected end date of May 2017. The two residences were due to be delivered in June 2016, within 12 months.
After receiving the amount in question, the defendant acquired a plot of land worth USD 37 thousand, USD 220 for the chancellery, while for the existing property in the space he disbursed the amount of USD 217 thousand and 196, totaling USD 254 thousand and 516, in an area of two thousand and 511 square meters.
It then signed a contract for the supervision of the chancellery contract, in November 2014, with the company Energias Angola Limitada l, in the amount of one million, 120 thousand and 95 US dollars and 80 cents.
On February 11, 2018, an addendum to the contract was signed with the same company, in the amount of 132,647 US dollars and 96 cents, for a period of 36 months.
On the same date, it also signed another contract with the company Enovias Angola Limitada, for the supervision of the construction of official protocol residences, in the amount of 518 thousand, 794 dollars and 98 cents valid for a period of 36 months.
Following his actions, the defendant, without the knowledge and consent of the construction company, ordered the transfer to the inspection company Energias Limitada, of the amount of 186 thousand and 700 dollars for alleged correction of the project.
According to the records, so far, the contract has not been completed because the defendant gave an uncertain destination to the amount of 5 million dollars referring to the initial payment, as well as USD 86 thousand and 700 that he withdrew from the amount that would be due to the construction company of the work.
He stressed that the accounts of the Angolan Embassy in Ethiopia point to a lack of US$15 million, 8,800 and US$557 48 cents.
Defense Arcanjo do Nascimento
According to the defense lawyer, Benja Satula, it was not the defendant who selected the contractor, much less the inspection companies, having been done through a tender carried out by the Ministry of Construction and Public Works, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
With regard to the amount cited in article 20 of the indictment, he points out that the amount was not five million, but four million and 200, corresponding to 30% of the value of the contract.
He also says that the citations of articles 22 and 23 of the indictment do not correspond to the truth, inasmuch as, at no time, did the defendant request the return of the amounts, much less is there any evidence in the file that he gave the order for the said amount to be transferred from the account of the company NIBRAS, based in DUBAI, to the account NIBRAS Prestação de Serviços, based in Angola.
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On the other hand, he adds, there is no connection in the case file, which is why there is no evidence, between the amounts (Donw Primem) and the amounts transferred by the company NIBRAS Prestação de Serviço to the defendant.
However, he argues that there is a loan agreement between the defendant and the owner of the said company, the declarant (Nables Guebressos).
It also adds that the transfers made by the company NIBRAS Prestação de Serviços were made on the basis of a particular relationship and have nothing to do with the value of the contract, nor the value (Donw Primem), as the accusation says.
Hence, according to the defence, it cannot accept the reference in paragraph 24 of the indictment because there is no evidence in the file to indicate that the defendant received a sum of five million.
'On the contrary, the bank statements contained in the case file, especially from the company NIBRAS, show the transfer of values both in dollars and kwanzas, made in favor of it. FMA/SC/ADR/DOJ
