Africa-Press – Angola. Angolan authorities have informed the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the arrest of two Russians in Luanda, the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) said today.
The information was given at a press conference in which the SIC presented two Russians and two Angolans, who were preventively arrested, suspected of criminal association, document forgery, terrorism, and terrorist financing.
According to a note from the SIC, the judge of guarantees decided to restore the freedom of a third Angolan, but with a term of identity and residence, after having been detained last week in the same case.
“It is important to highlight that our investigations have determined that the Russian citizens are operatives for the organization Africa Politology, whose activities, among other missions, aim to promote disinformation campaigns, manipulate local media, and infiltrate political processes, particularly in the promotion of subversion,” the SIC statement said.
The Russians will also have, according to the SIC, delivered “large sums of money, in national and foreign currency, to journalists, politicians, professional associations and digital content producers to support their action.”
The investigation also found, SIC continues, that the organization Africa Politology not only operates with digital propaganda and fake news, but “finances staged demonstrations, corrupts local journalists and shapes the public narrative in favor of its strategic interests.”
Through its investigations, the SIC managed to thwart several demonstrations that were scheduled for the provinces of Luanda and Benguela, said SIC spokesperson Manuel Halaiwa, also emphasizing that investigations continue to arrest other suspects and fully clarify these crimes.
During the arrests, the Angolan criminal investigation seized various items such as computers, cell phones, various documents, some of which were encrypted, as well as sums of money in national and foreign currency.
When asked about the “large” amount given by Russian citizens to national citizens, Manuel Halaiwa said that “at this moment there is a scrutiny being carried out on all the monetary transfers that were made at various points, to various beneficiaries.”
“We’re talking about several groups of people, journalists, politicians, and then at the appropriate time we’ll make the exact amount public, but we know we have amounts in kwanzas, in foreign currency, both US dollars and rubles, which is the Russian currency,” he stressed.
Manuel Halaiwa added that this whole situation occurs at a time when the country has experienced “great tensions over recent events.”
Angola experienced a tense situation at the end of July, with riots in several provinces of the country, following a strike led by taxi associations and cooperatives, due to the rise in fuel prices and consequently in public transport fares.
The strike was marked by acts of vandalism, looting and violence in the provinces of Luanda, Benguela, Huíla, Bengo, Icolo e Bengo, Huambo and Lunda Norte, resulting, according to the National Police, in 30 deaths, more than 200 injuries and more than 1,500 arrests.
Following this action, the authorities have announced the arrest of several leaders of taxi associations and cooperatives, among other individuals.
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