Africa-Press – Angola. Confidence in the Angolan judicial system has once again been shaken by serious allegations of corruption and rigging of court cases. The executive secretary of the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSMJ), Manuel Victor Assuilo, is accused of receiving $2 million from Sonangol to influence the outcome of a case involving the state-owned oil company and the heirs of Gaspar Gonçalo Madeira.
The case stems from a land dispute in Namibe. Sonangol-EP and its subsidiary Sonangol Distribuição e Comercialização, SA were ordered by the Moçâmedes District Court to pay Gaspar Madeira’s heirs US$16,233,039.00 in compensation and to restore possession of a 360,742-square-meter plot of land located in the Saco Mar neighborhood of Namibe, where the oil company maintains its regional headquarters.
According to documents consulted, the plot has belonged to the family since 1957, but has been occupied by Sonangol since 1993, without any payment. The occupation began with just 130 square meters and expanded over the years until reaching its current size.
In July 2022, after negotiations, Sonangol itself acknowledged the occupation in writing and signed a Promissory Purchase and Sale Agreement, committing to pay US$45 per square meter. The agreement, however, was never fulfilled, forcing the heirs to resort to the courts.
Faced with the oil company’s inaction, the court recognized the heirs’ property rights, ordered the return of the land, and ordered Sonangol to pay, in addition to financial compensation, 1 billion kwanzas in moral damages to one of the heirs, Ildeberto Alfredo Serra Madeira.
The oil company appealed, but the appeal was declared abandoned due to a lack of allegations within the legal deadline, making the decision final.
Despite this, instead of complying with the ruling, Sonangol benefited from a controversial episode. Judge Victor Domingos Camessa, who had presided over the case, was removed and replaced by the newly appointed Celestino Soares José, a judge considered inexperienced in civil matters. Soares José reopened a precautionary measure that had been closed almost two years ago and overturned the previous decision.
Behind the scenes, the act is attributed to the intervention of Manuel Victor Assuilo, accused of having coordinated the entire corruption process to protect Sonangol.
The aim would be to make the payment of compensation and the return of the land unfeasible, a maneuver that the heirs classify as “an attack on the rule of law.”
This episode adds to other accusations against Manuel Assuilo, who was previously accused of ordering the annulment of sentences and persecuting judges who went against his interests.
For legal experts and observers, the case demonstrates how corruption within the judiciary undermines legal certainty and drives away potential investors.
“If even a final judgment can be overturned due to corruption, what remains of trust in the Angolan justice system?” asks an analyst interviewed by Imparcial Press.
Meanwhile, Sonangol remains silent, continues to exploit the disputed land, and fails to pay the compensation set by the court. The heirs insist they are facing maneuvers to indefinitely postpone compliance with the law.
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