Africa-Press – Angola. Former prosecutor Orlando Figueira was arrested by the Judicial Police (PJ), to begin serving the six-year and eight-month sentence to which he was sentenced, the institution announced today.
The case highlights the involvement of former Angolan Vice President Manuel Vicente, who is at the center of the controversy. Figueira was convicted of corruption, money laundering, violation of judicial secrecy and document forgery, after having received more than 760 thousand euros from Manuel Vicente in exchange for favors at the Central Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DCIAP), where proceedings against the Angolan politician were underway.
The arrest, carried out by the National Unit for Combating Corruption of the PJ, is in response to a warrant for arrest at the Évora Prison Establishment, issued last Monday. The case dates back to December 2018, when the Judicial Court of the District of Lisbon convicted Figueira of benefiting Manuel Vicente, in a connection that involved illicit payments in exchange for influence over investigations involving the then Angolan vice-president.
This case caused a rift in diplomatic relations between Angola and Portugal. At the time, the Portuguese courts expressed an interest in hearing Manuel Vicente, but the Angolan government refused to cooperate, claiming that Vicente enjoyed immunity and therefore could not be summoned to appear in court. This impasse became known as the “irritant” in relations between Angola and Portugal.
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