Luanda: President Joo Louren§o instructed the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday to intensify cooperation with authorities in Bermuda, Singapore, and Switzerland. Nearly two billion dollars, which have been declared forfeited to the Angolan State by national courts, are domiciled in these countries.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the Angolan Head of State, speaking at the opening of the 2026 Judicial Year, emphasized that asset recovery should not only be seen as a patrimonial measure but as a mechanism of substantive justice. This approach aims to eliminate the economic benefits of illicit activities and restore resources to the State and society that were wrongfully appropriated.
Joo Louren§o encouraged the Attorney General's Office to enhance cooperation with foreign institutions involved in asset recovery. He highlighted examples such as the Asset Sharing Agreement with the Republic of Namibia and the successful repatriation of assets from Portugal that have been returned to the Angolan State.
The president stated that these successes are the result of a persistent and coordinated institutional effort, especially as pending processes continue in different jurisdictions. He called on those holding assets belonging to the Angolan State, as decided by national courts, to return them to their rightful owner.
Louren§o asserted that judgments made by Angolan courts should not be re-evaluated by foreign courts, with the Constitutional Court being the only authority to hear appeals regarding judicial decisions issued in Angola.
He emphasized that recovered resources should be used for the benefit of the Angolan people, investing in essential infrastructure projects such as schools, hospitals, and roads, which are crucial for the country's development.
On an international level, the President noted that Angola is undergoing a mutual evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This is part of aligning the National System for the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering and related activities with international standards.
He indicated that enhanced monitoring under the FATF framework necessitates a high level of responsibility, cooperation, and coordination among the institutions in the National Working Group, which includes the Attorney General's Office, law enforcement, and economic intelligence services, focusing on asset identification, investigation, prosecution, and recovery.
The Head of State remarked that efforts to prevent and fight corruption have gained national and international recognition, underscoring Angola's commitment to combating corruption and impunity.
Joo Louren§o also pointed out that the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International ranks Angola in 120th place out of 182 countries, reflecting an improvement since 2015. He found these results encouraging but called for a stronger commitment to enhancing public integrity and consolidating progress.
The president concluded by encouraging judicial magistrates, public prosecutors, lawyers, and other justice sector professionals, expressing confidence in achieving the goals set for the current judicial year.
