Angolan PR says evidence of crime against Accounts Chamber chairman was ‘irrefutable’

The Angolan president said this Wednesday that the evidence against the former President of the Court of Accounts (TdC) was “irrefutable” after a magistrate made an “attempt to extort money” from his government’s ministers.

This Wednesday, João Lourenço gave a speech at the Presidential Palace in Luanda, where he swore in eight new judge-counselors of the Supreme Court (SC) and justified his absence from the first session of the judicial year by alleged actions of the Supreme Court. Judge President for TdC, Exalgina Gamboa.

“For the first time this year, I am speaking before the judges of the courts, and more precisely before the supreme court, in connection with the fact that he refused to preside over the inauguration of the judicial year at a very turbulent time for Angolan justice.” Joao Lourenzo said.

According to the head of the Angolan state, the aforementioned turbulent period began with public complaints against the leadership of the magistrate, and the prosecutor’s office “did not leave them unattended.”

Subsequently, “irrefutable facts, much more serious than those in the public suit attributed to the same consulting judge, were later discovered that point to an attempted extortion from the Minister of Energy and Water Resources,” he said.

According to the head of state, the judge asked the Minister of Mineral Resources and Petroleum for 1% of the authorized capital of the Lobito refinery, as if this is normal and possible in Angola, which we are building together, fighting corruption and impunity as our flag.”

João Lourenço also said, referring to Article 175 of the Angolan Constitution, that the independence of the courts is limited to the exercise of their jurisdictional functions. For this reason, “as the country’s highest judge, I could not remain indifferent in the face of such serious situations.”

“Thus, in accordance with the powers vested in him by the CRA, the head of state proposed that the relevant consulting judge resign, after which he was appointed as a defendant by the State Ministry,” he stressed.

Under the law established for these cases, he continued, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ) initiates the process of filling the vacancy, and the head of state will appoint “from among any consultant judges” a future distinguished judge consultant to the president. TdC

Angola’s President João Lourenço announced at the end of February that on February 21 he proposed to Exalguina Gamboa to resign due to several “incidents” related to her, but the judge would only resign a few days after demanding an early retirement and were declared responsible.

Exalguina Gamboa has been charged with extortion, embezzlement and corruption in a case that also involves her son, Haile Vicente da Cruz, who is also charged.