According to VOA, the trial of Manuel Rabelais, former director of the extinct Office of Revitalization and Execution of Institutional Communication and Marketing of the Administration (Grecima), may list at least one more figurehead of the Government of José Eduardo dos Santos.
The representative of the Public Prosecutor presented to the court a letter from the ex-President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos, in which he attributed to the then Minister of State and Chief of the Military House, Manuel Hélder Viera Dias “Kopelipa”, with responsibilities on how that body was managed and resulted in an embezzlement of almost 100 million euros.
In the letter addressed to the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court (TS), during the preparatory stage of the judicial process, José Eduardo dos Santos is said to have stated that “he has nothing to clarify because the question of Grecima’s management was followed up by the general in the Manuel Hélder Viera Dias reform ”.
The former President maintained that if more clarification were needed, General Kopelipa could also do it “as long as it is not a matter of state secrecy”.
The analyst Ilídio Manuel admits that General Kopelipa may be listed as a declarant if the TS considers it necessary.
Manuel António Rabelais, who is accused of the crimes of money laundering, embezzlement and violation of rules of execution of the plan and budget, was confronted, on Tuesday, 15, with a bank statement from the Bank of Commerce and Industry (BCI) that attest all financial movements made by Grecima between 2016 and 2017.
“The general can now be listed in the Manuel Rabelais trial for the diversion of more than 98 million euros.”
The Public Ministry claims that the former manager used around 98 million euros for his own benefit.
In this third trial session, the defendant reiterated that Grecima depended on the Security House of the President of the Republic, led by General Kopelipa.
However, according to him, the secret questions were dispatched with the PR and even so the dispatches were essentially verbal and there were no documents.
Rabelais assumed that he transferred 15 million euros abroad, for the benefit of the television channels Euronews and Africa news and for three more consulting and communication companies, of which he is a partner of at least two of them.
The operations, he said, were aimed at promoting a good image of Angola on the eve of the 2017 election period, in addition to other actions involving monetary values that were channeled to some state and private media, as well as to journalists, influential politicians and as partner institutions of Grecima.
The former Minister of Communication said that all companies that purchased foreign currency, made available by the National Bank of Angola (BNA), did so in commercial banks.
The transfers, he said, were made under the guidance of the former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos.
The trial continues on Wednesday, 16.
