Africa-Press – Angola. More than three hundred cases on embezzlement and corruption are in the preparatory investigation phase in Benguela, announced this Friday, in this city, the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic in this province, Simão Cafala.
According to the judge, who was speaking to the press on the sidelines of a lecture as part of the International Day Against Corruption (9 December), 59 of these cases were opened this year.
Simão Cafala reported that fifteen of them were sent by the PGR to the Courts, nine were introduced and eight were condemned.
“Among the defendants are mostly managers and public servants”, he explained.
The Deputy Prosecutor urged the population to continue reporting these crimes, highlighting that “there are times when the volume of reports is greater”.
When asked about the constraints during his actions, he acknowledged that the institution is facing some difficulties in terms of human resources, materials and infrastructure, but, despite this, “it has carried out its activity with zeal and dedication”.
International day against corruption _
In a lecture under the motto: “Corruption, an evil that must be eradicated”, held in Lobito, the Deputy Attorney General of the Republic and Coordinator of the Central Legal Region, Carlos Manuel Santos, said that the PGR has played an important role in the fight against corruption, whether in the field of prevention or repression.
“We have held public awareness talks about the negative impact of this phenomenon and initiated criminal proceedings,” he stated.
The broad need to combat corruption currently plays an essential role in Executive Branch programs, according to Carlos Manuel Santos.
He recalled that the approval of a national strategic plan for prevention and repression is in the pipeline for the years 2023/2028, the proposal of which has already been subject to public consultation in the first half of this year.
“Citizens need to have the idea that corruption does not just serve to enrich some, on the contrary, it is a crime whose victims are all of us, as its effects are reflected in the incapacity of democratic institutions, in the amount of taxes, in prices of products and services, without forgetting that many serious crimes are linked to it.
The Deputy Attorney also pointed out as consequences of corruption, the disproportionate harm to the poor, while existing resources are diverted to the benefit of a few, when they should be destined for the development of the country and its population.
For him, the topics chosen for the debate are current, relevant and, above all, likely to create expectations among the target audience, regarding the speakers’ line of thought, as they are linked to measures to combat corruption, in order to mitigate its impact on society.
Topics such as preventing corruption through Education for transparency and integrity, Vision in the strategic management of Ports in Angola and The harm of corruption were discussed.
Magistrates, jurists, law students, senior officers from the Angolan Armed Forces and the National Police, and civil society were present.
The event was initiated by Porto do Lobito, through its Ethics Committee, together with the Attorney General’s Office.
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