NEWS: Angola takes ownership of properties related to Carlos Sao Vicente

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:25 am

Angola’s legal professional common has seized structures and motels belonging to AAA, a organization related with Carlos Manuel de São Vicente whose $900 million fortune has been frozen via Swiss authorities.

De São Vicente was once a key determine in Angola’s oil industry, heading a group of companies, along with AAA Seguros, which offered insurance and reinsurance contracts to country oil enterprise Sonangol.

An Angolan presidential decree revoked AAA’s insurance position over the oil enterprise in 2016, citing its “allegedly non-transparent management.”

The Geneva legal professional representing de São Vicente stated last week that he denies any wrongdoing.

His wife, who is a daughter of Angola’s former president Jose Eduardo dos Santos and an ex-deputy minister in the ruling MPLA party, stated in a announcement to Reuters he would be proved innocent.

“The Angolan lawyer general’s office has initiated an investigation technique associated to evidence of crimes of embezzlement, conspiracy in monetary activity, have an effect on peddling and money-laundering,” country broadcaster TPA pronounced on Tuesday.

“It has decided to catch AAA buildings, IU and IKA lodges placed in the course of the country,” a TPA reporter added. An on line enterprise profile posted by means of AAA Activos LDA, which lists de São Vicente as an professional contact, stated it holds greater than $1.4 billion in belongings and owns 86 buildings, along with one belonging to the IKA lodge chain and 12 to IU hotels. AAA was not at once available for comment on the report.

Switzerland iced over $900 million held in money owed belonging to de São Vicente in 2018 in a money-laundering investigation, marking one of the biggest freezes of personal belongings in Swiss history.

(AFP)