Africa-Press – Angola. The Inspector General of State Administration, João Pinto, expressed discontent with the stance of European Union (EU) countries regarding cooperation with the Angolan Government in combating corruption and recovering illegally transferred assets.
According to João Pinto, despite diplomatic relations with Angola, EU nations have not facilitated the return of fraudulent goods or the exchange of information.
During the 9th General Assembly of the Forum of Inspectors General of African States and Similar Institutions (FIGE), held in Luanda, João Pinto praised the United Kingdom as the only European country that has collaborated so far, returning amounts diverted from the National Bank of Angola. “I am outraged that our EU partners show no interest in sharing information on illicit assets originating from Angola,” said the inspector, who is also president of FIGE for the 2024-2026 biennium.
Pinto’s criticism was reinforced by the Inspector General of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jules Angete Nkey, who reported facing similar difficulties with EU countries. The official said that, although European countries demand detailed information on the use of funds they sponsor in Africa, they respond with “diplomatic silence” when the request comes from African governments.
When asked about the issue, EU representative Fiorito Biagio took part in the debate, but the exchange of information on illicit assets remained an area of divergence between the blocs.
Angola strengthens mechanisms to combat corruption and raise awareness among public managers. Paulo Alves, director of the IGAE Office and Exchange, highlighted that Angola will continue to work with international partners to promote the sharing of information on illicit assets. He highlighted the country’s efforts to create legal and institutional mechanisms to discourage corruption and raise awareness among public managers about ethical practices.
FIGE Executive Secretary Hassan Issa Sultan advocated African cooperation based on information exchange and institutional consolidation, with a view to strengthening good governance and repressing financial crimes.
The 9th General Assembly and 11th International Colloquium of FIGE, which took place from 22 to 25 October in Luanda, brought together African authorities under the motto “The Fight Against Corruption and Money Laundering — Investigation, Reprimand and Cooperation”.
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