Angola: Interpol puts Isabel dos Santos on red alert

Interpol (International Organization of Criminal Police) placed the Angolan Isabel dos Santos, who was once the richest woman in Africa, on “Red Alert”. This means that there is a warrant to “find and provisionally arrest” the businesswoman.

UNDERSTAND HOW ISABEL DOS SANTOS BUILT AN EMPIRE

According to information from Agência Lusa, the warrant was requested by the Attorney General of the Republic of Angola on November 3, 2022.

In the document, Isabel is sought on suspicion of “crimes of embezzlement, qualified fraud, illegal participation in business, criminal association, influence peddling and money laundering.”

Isabel is the daughter of former Angolan president José Eduardo dos Santos and was the target of Luanda Leaks, a journalistic investigation led by ICIJ (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) in 2020.

The investigation brought together 120 professionals from 36 media outlets from 20 countries.

Sought by ICIJ to confirm whether it had issued an international arrest warrant against Isabel dos Santos, Interpol said it would not comment on specific cases.

In an interview with the German media vehicle Deutsche Welle, Isabel dos Santos said that she learned about the warrant from the press and that the request is based on “lies.” The businesswoman also stated that the Luanda Leaks journalistic investigation was an “order” from the Angolan government for “political reasons.”

LUANDA LEAKS

The investigation showed how Isabel dos Santos built an empire involving 400 companies and subsidiaries in 41 countries to divert resources from the Angolan government, mainly from the state oil company Sonangol, which she chaired from 2016 to 2017.

The investigations had a major impact on the entire dos Santos family.

The businesswoman defended herself against the accusations and stated that the political opposition against her father promotes a “witch hunt.” She also questioned the authenticity of the documents that support the journalistic investigation.

“RICHEST WOMAN IN AFRICA”

Isabel was named “the richest woman in Africa” in 2014 by Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of US$3.5 billion. In 2020, when her net worth had dropped to US$ 2.2 billion, the magazine decided to remove her from the list of billionaires because of suspicions about money laundering.

Because of the allegations, she was banned from entering the US in January 2022.

With information from Poder 360