Court summons Angola’s president

Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. PHOTO | AFP

What you need to know:

  • A lawyers’ spokesman David Mendes said the president and daughter have been given eight days to appear before the Supreme Court.
  • President dos Santos in mid June appointed his eldest daughter as a non-executive director of state-owned oil company Sonangol.
  • Isabel dos Santos’ assets in Angola include a 25 per cent stake in Unitel and another 25 per cent stake in Banco Internacional de Credito.

LUANDA

A court in Angola has summoned President José Eduardo dos Santos and his daughter Isabel over the latter’s appointment as head of the country’s public oil company.

A lawyers’ spokesman David Mendes said the president and daughter have been given eight days to appear before the Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court has already cited the country’s president and his daughter Isabel dos Santos and told them to respond to our contestation,” Mendes said.

President dos Santos in mid June appointed his eldest daughter as a non-executive director of state-owned oil company Sonangol.

Twelve lawyers challenged the appointment and petitioned the attorney-general’s office to annul it “because it goes against the public probity laws”.

“The constitution says a public official should not nominate or allow nominations of his or her spouse or first degree relatives,” the lawyers argue in their petition.

Isabel dos Santos’ assets in Angola include a 25 per cent stake in Unitel — one of the country’s two mobile phone companies — and another 25 per cent stake in Banco Internacional de Credito.

Angola is the second-largest producer of crude oil in Africa after Nigeria and has regularly been cited as one of the continent’s fastest growing economies.

SERIOUS ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

However, since the beginning of 2015, the southwestern African country has faced serious economic problems occasioned by the crude oil price depression on the international market.

Angola relies on crude exports for two-thirds of tax revenue, and 95 per cent of its foreign currency receipts.

Angolan Red Cross executive board director Isabel dos Santos arriving at the opening of an art exhibition in Porto, northern Portugal on March 5, 2015. Angolan Red Cross workers want her sacked for failure to pay their salaries for six months. PHOTO | FERNANDO VELUDO | AFP

Analysts, critics and the opposition say the billions of oil dollars flowing into the country have not benefited ordinary citizens, but have only succeeded in creating a small wealthy class of politicians and businessmen.

According to the United Nations, the oil industry represents 97 per cent of Angola’s exports and 80 per cent of public revenue and employs one per cent of the population.

Most of Angola’s population survives on less than $2 a day.

In 2013, dos Santos appointed his eldest son, José Filomeno dos Santos, to head the strategic $5 billion Angolan investment sovereign fund, created in October 2012.