Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos has rejected fresh criminal charges, including embezzlement and fraud, filed by the public prosecutor in Angola. Dos Santos, described as Africa’s richest woman, faces accusations related to her tenure as the chair of a state-owned oil firm, Sonangol, from 2016 to 2017.
Lawyer Dan Morrison, representing Dos Santos, asserted that the charges are politically motivated, part of a broader campaign of persecution by President João Lourenço. Critics have long accused Dos Santos of using her influence to enrich herself, allegations vehemently denied by the businesswoman.
Under Lourenço’s presidency, relatives of former president José Eduardo dos Santos, including Isabel, have faced various charges. In 2020, Angolan prosecutors charged Dos Santos with embezzlement and money laundering. A “red notice” was issued by Interpol in 2022, seeking her provisional arrest.
Dos Santos, not arrested to date, faces global asset freezes. Morrison stated that she is engaged in legal proceedings across jurisdictions to clear her name. The lawyer alleged that Angolan authorities aim to intimidate her from returning to Angola, potentially hindering her ability to run for political office.
The most recent indictment was reportedly filed on December 11, but the Angolan attorney general’s office refrained from commenting, citing judicial secrecy. Dos Santos has expressed interest in running for Angola’s presidency, and despite once being considered Africa’s richest woman, her disputed assets have led to her exclusion from Forbes’ wealth rankings.
