Africa-Press – Angola. Twenty-five criminal proceedings related to corruption and related crimes were initiated between January and November of this year by the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in Cunene province.
The crimes prosecuted include embezzlement, undue receipt of benefits (active and passive corruption), economic participation in business, tax and customs fraud, and influence peddling.
This information was provided on Wednesday by the Head Prosecutor of the Republic in Cunene province, Carlos Vungula, within the framework of the 22nd anniversary of the institutionalization of the World Anti-Corruption Day, celebrated on December 9th.According to the magistrate, of the 25 controlled cases involving managers and public officials, seven have been sent to the Court for trial and 18 are in the investigation phase.
He stated that corruption crimes are punishable under articles 358, 359, 357, 459, and 460 of the Criminal Procedure Code, with penalties ranging from three to ten years in prison.
Without specifying exact figures, he said that compared to the previous period, there has been a decrease, resulting from awareness campaigns carried out by the Attorney General’s Office and the General Inspectorate of State Administration (IGAE).He stated that anti-corruption measures largely depend on raising awareness in society as a whole, through strengthening preventive and educational measures for citizens regarding the harms of corruption, as well as reporting to the competent authorities.
“Notwithstanding prevention, the ideal way to reduce corrupt practices is through repressive actions, where the Angolan Executive bases its governance on combating wrongdoing,” he emphasized.
He mentioned that the United Nations established the date to ensure transparency and accountability in all decision-making processes and to limit public institutional powers, adopting a legal framework to guide their conduct.
He appealed for greater citizen awareness, because in their eagerness to see their rights established, even in schools, health services, or any public institution, they use corridors of power to bribe, becoming passive corruptors.
The date was established by the United Nations (UN) in 2003, when the United Nations Convention against Corruption was signed, which entered into force in 2005.
Its objective is to raise awareness about what corruption is, the consequences of this crime, and to involve all citizens in combating it, mainly through reporting.
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