International arrest warrant against Isabel dos Santos confirmed

 Luanda - Attorney General's Office (PGR) has issued an international arrest warrant against businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, with Interpol.

Attorney General, Hélder Pitta Gróz, confirmed this to the press on the sidelines of the Council of PGR management, underway in Luanda on Monday.

There is a criminal case underway since 2018 against Isabel dos Santos, with an attempt by the PGR to notify her at her residence in the Morro Bento condominium, in Luanda, the Magistrate stated.

The Magistrate noted that the businesswoman refused to sign the notification, leaving the country right after.

He also referred to several notifications as having been delivered to the lawyer’s office in charge of the defence of Isabel dos Santos.

Hélder Pitta Gróz said that the notifications were also delivered to companies with which the businesswoman had a connection, namely Unitel and ZAP.

“In April of the current year, when the PGR became aware of her stay in the Netherlands, it issued a rogatory letter in order for Isabel dos Santos to be heard in that European country, having once again refused to sign the notification and be questioned”, he said.

According to the Attorney General, these facts led the institution to issue an international arrest warrant with Interpol, as her current whereabouts remains unknown.

He referred that in Angola there is a representation of Interpol, and this institution is now responsible for the subsequent steps.

Isabel dos Santos is accused of having harmed the Angolan State in the total amount of more than €200 million.

On December 30, 2019, the Provincial Court of Luanda decreed the preventive seizure of Isabel dos Santos' personal bank accounts.

Meanwhile, several operations of the businesswoman are being investigated in Portugal. On January 11, 2020, the Angolan Executive announced that it is preparing a judicial battle for the seizure of Isabel dos Santos' assets in Portugal.

That action is already in place in the form of a rogatory letter sent to Portugal, which prevented the transfer of funds from Banco Comercial Português (BCP) to a bank in Russia.