The businesswoman today denied that the Angolan authorities are unaware of her whereabouts or that she is unable to contact her, saying that “she is and has always been available to collaborate with the justice and provide all clarifications”
In a statement sent today to Lusa, Isabel dos Santos says that the information that is partly uncertain “is false”, stating that, since January 2020, she has appointed lawyers mandated in Angola and Portugal, “with forensic powers of attorney presented and accepted by the justice” both countries.
The Angolan businesswoman, daughter of ex-President of Angola José Eduardo dos Santos, also underlines that “she was present in all the records and processes of which she was aware, due diligence”, both in Portugal and in Angola.
The Angolan Attorney General (PGR) assumed, last Friday, difficulties in notifying businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, in Angola and other countries, admitting that the possibility of issuing an arrest warrant “is open”. “In Luanda, she was already notified in the possible places where she could be contacted and there was no response,” said Helder Pitta Grós, at a press conference today in Luanda.
“At this moment we do not know where here home is, neither a professional address or where she lives, and this has made it difficult to notify her,” he said. The PGR said that attempts were also made with Isabel dos Santos companies and that the same was requested from Portugal, without success, so the issue of a warrant “is an open hypothesis”.
In response, Isabel dos Santos said today that the lawyers who represent her “are mandated as required by law, have performed several acts in succession in the cases and are in contact with the Angolan PGR, the Luanda Court and the Portuguese justice ”. “So I endorse the statement that my whereabouts are not known or that I am not contactable. The claim that the Angolan Justice is unaware of my whereabouts and that he cannot contact me is false, ”the statement said.
