President of Angola, Joao Lourenco has pardoned the son of his predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos who was serving a five-year jail term for embezzlement including some 50 prisoners. It was revealed in a presidential decree posted on Facebook recently.
It was in a presidential decree posted on Facebook recently citing « good behaviour » and the « absence of social danger » that the Angolan President Joao Lourenco pardoned his predecessor Jose Eduardo dos Santos’ son Jose Filomeno Dos Santos as well as some 50 prisoners.
Filomeno dos Santos was convicted for crimes including embezzlement and influence trafficking. His father Jose Eduardo dos Santos died in 2022 after ruling for 38 years until 2017.
According to reports,he was jailed for fraud in 2020 after $500 million was transferred from the national bank of Angola to an account in the UK.
Three others, including the ex-governor of Angola’s national bank, were sentenced.
The decree noted that the pardon was linked to the 50th anniversary of Angola’s independence from Portugal next year, noting that it seeks to promote a « climate of harmony, leniency, indulgence, concord and fraternity ».
The UK government in November sanctioned Angola’s Isabel dos Santos daughter of Dos Santos, as part of a new anti-corruption drive.She is currently wanted by Angolan authorities investigating alleged illegalities in the management of national oil company Sonangol between 2016 and 2017.
