International police organisation Interpol has issued a warrant for the arrest of Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, Portugal’s Lusa news agency and dozens of others reported on Friday.
Dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s former authoritarian president José Eduardo dos Santos, was the subject of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) 2020 Luanda Leaks investigation.
The investigation showed how insider deals, political connections and a multitude of Western enablers helped dos Santos amass a fortune. She was handed several deals in oil, diamonds, beer production, and telecom, among others.
The investigation also revealed the Angolese billionaire’s link with Malta as Isabel dos Santos and her husband Sindika Dokolo have or held a stake as shareholders in 14 companies set up in Malta, making it a “popular” destination for the couple.
According to the ICIJ investigation, Malta had the third-highest number of companies linked to the couple’s business empire, following Angola (81 companies) and Portugal (17 companies). However, Malta had more financial companies involved when compared to Portugal (13 as opposed to 11) and is the only country of the three listed as a “secrecy jurisdiction”.
The 14 companies incorporated in Malta were Kento Holding Limited, Wise Intelligence Solutions Holding Limited, Wise Intelligence Solutions Limited, Victoria HoIding Limited, Victoria Limited, Alcea Holding Limited, Athol Limited, Finisantoro Holding Limited, Espaços Media Group Limited, Winterfell Industries Limited, EMG Consulting Limited, Winterfell 2 Limited, Global Land Limited, and Supply International Limited.
Portugal’s press Lusa news agency reported that Interpol issued the warrant following a request from Angolan prosecutors. Polícia Judiciária sources in Lisbon said the Interpol warrant alleges dos Santos created corrupt financial mechanisms between 2015 and 2017. The sources said the warrant further alleges that dos Santos acted upon information she had obtained as then-head of Angola’s state oil company, Sonangol.
Dos Santos has denied the claims that she benefited unfairly from her father’s position as Angolan president or any other wrongdoing. Last year, Angolan and Portuguese authorities froze dos Santos’ assets and bank accounts and launched criminal investigations and the business empire was largely dismantled.
An official source representing the billionaire daughter of Angola’s former president said on Saturday that dos Santos has yet to be notified of an international arrest warrant. In a statement sent to Reuters, dos Santos’ official source said her lawyers had “consulted the Interpol database and, so far, there was no reference to the issuance of a warrant”.
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Who are the Maltese directors of these local companies? Why are they not mentioned? Perhaps because they are not red?
is the shift’s independence being threatened by the ex director of these companies, and/or by the big4 audit firm and/or one of malta’s leading law firm that all serviced these companies and its UBO up untill early 2020 when lid was uncovered?
None of these firms is threatening The Shift. It is only the government doing so with 40 cases in court. If you have something to say, you’re free to say it.
Dear Caroline, with all due respect investigative journalism is not and should not be directed merely and solely to unearth government scandals and misdeeds. And of course Cikku is free to say whatever he has to say, with due respect for veracity of the facts. But the primary duty of investigation and fair reporting is that of the journalist and there should be no sacred cows even if they are past nationalist members of partliament, aloysians, edwardians and members of the legal profession or of the diplomatic corps.
Again, you are assuming we are hiding something because of some sacred cow. As you well know, there are no sacred cows with us. But to immediately come to that conclusion because there is another angle to look at is wrong. Nobody said we are not looking at it. There happens to be a lot of things on our plate and we’re a small team.