The former director of the extinct Office for the Revitalization of Institutional Communication and Management Marketing (GRECIMA) Manuel Rabelais, is said to have silenced, in 2017, some private media bodies when information about his alleged illicit enrichment began to emerge.
Manuel Rabelais, who is on trial for allegedly damaging the management of public assets in the former Office for the Revitalization of Institutional Communication and Marketing of the Administration (GRECIMA) , according to sources, was silent with monetary values above 3 million kwanzas as a way to avoid complaints against your name.
Among the bodies silenced by the same is a well-known newspaper, which after having it printed on the cover and announced on social media, when it was already printing in the press, as soon as it got in touch with the publication, it called the newsroom asking for the cover to be removed, as well as the material on the pages, proposing a negotiation.
At the time, President João Lourenço gave the first steps in his governance, regarding the fight against corruption. Meanwhile, Manuel Rabelais avoided the dissemination of information in the media about his alleged scandals, so that he would not attract the attention of the justice organs. Sum of the “Letters of comfort”.
At the hearing on Tuesday, the 15th, the former director-general of RNA admitted in court the possibility of 98,141,632 euros, which he is accused of having diverted from the state for his own benefit, being the sum of “ letters of comfort ”that the Office for the Revitalization of Institutional Communication and Marketing of the Administration (GRECIMA) made with the National Bank of Angola (BNA) in favor of public and private media companies during its management.
The beneficiaries were Edições Novembro, Angop, RNA, TPA, TV Zimbo, Interactive, Semba Comunicações (by Welwítschia dos Santos “Tchizé”, daughter of former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos), and the Ministry of Social Communication , having stated that, as the coordinator of these bodies, Organizações Chana supplied vehicles to these companies.
This issue raises the old controversy of non-compliance with the provisions of the Press Law, about incentives to the media. The reality shows so far that only public agencies have benefited, while private ones, with the exception of those linked to large business groups of elements of the regime, continue to be marginalized from such support.
When Manuel Rabelais was appointed Minister of Social Communication, he initially appeared with conciliatory speeches between the Angolan authorities and the private media. He gave his show by offering vehicles to newsrooms and envelopes under the doors but was unable to comply with the provisions of the Law.
Like other incumbents who passed through the Ministry of Social Communication, Manuel Rabelais also only had public bodies as the “pretty boys of his eyes”, while private ones would only appeal, recognizing their importance, after information about his alleged illicit enrichment, as well as his involvement in another scandal, following alleged under-invoicing in the acquisition of equipment to cover the CAN Football, in 2010.
The former leader who started to be tried on the 9th of this month, the hearings were suspended until the 8th of February 2021.
