Africa-Press – Angola. The activist states that the officer appointed as Deputy Attorney General of the Republic exclusively performed administrative functions in the Military Prosecutor’s Office, never having entered the Public Prosecutor’s Office career.
Angolan activist Rafael Marques accused this Tuesday the Attorney General of the Republic of Angola, Hélder Pitta Gróz, of retiring a deputy attorney general of the Republic without allegedly ever having entered the career of magistrate of the Public Ministry.
In a letter addressed to the President of the Republic of Angola, João Lourenço, the Angolan journalist also argues that his complaint, to which Lusa had access, is based on the decision of the Permanent Commission of the Superior Council of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which retired Colonel Manuel Jorge, in his capacity as Deputy Attorney General of the Republic, on the initiative of Hélder Pitta Gróz.
According to the Angolan activist, the aforementioned senior officer exclusively performed administrative functions in the Military Prosecutor’s Office , as head of the organization and planning department, and never entered the career of Public Prosecutor’s Office magistrate through a public competition, nor attended the magistracy course at the National Institute of Judicial Studies (INEJ), as required by the Statute of Public Prosecutor’s Office Magistrates.
“The decision, based on articles 144.1 and 114.3 of the PGR’s organic law, has no legal basis, due to the absence of the material requirements applicable to the retirement of magistrates”, states Rafael Marques in his complaint, also highlighting that “such an act may constitute a misuse of purpose , violation of the principle of legality and fraud of the law, aggravated by the subsequent silent removal of the colonel’s name from the official list of retired magistrates, published in the Official Gazette”.
The Angolan journalist and activist emphasizes that, according to constitutional and legal provisions, it is the responsibility of the President of the Republic, as head of state and holder of executive power, to appoint and dismiss the Attorney General of the Republic, exercising political and administrative power over acts “that compromise the legality and integrity of judicial institutions.”
Rafael Marques highlights in the complaint that the appointment and dismissal of the Attorney General and his deputies, established by presidential decree, implies a bond of institutional trust that must be reviewed when there is evidence of abuse of power or violation of democratic legality.
The activist asks the President to “promote the investigation of the aforementioned acts and, if necessary, determine the appropriate political, administrative and legal measures, including the possible dismissal of the Attorney General of the Republic, in defense of transparency, legality and public trust in the institutions of justice.”
Last May, on his website Maka Angola, Rafael Marques had denounced the retirement of Colonel Manuel Jorge , in which he argued that he has a long-standing friendship with the Angolan Attorney General that “has translated into various personal connections and shared interests.”
According to the activist’s text, “there is nothing in the law invoked in the grounds for the decision that allows a member of the technical support staff of the Attorney General’s Office to retire as a magistrate.”
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