Africa-Press – Angola. The Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in Cuando Cubango is monitoring five criminal cases related to fuel smuggling, involving nine Angolan citizens who are awaiting trial in freedom. The deputy attorney general of the province, Nilton Muaca, confirmed in an interview that the accused were released on bail, and the cases are following their normal course.Nilton Muaca expressed concern about the increase in fuel trafficking in the region, especially in the municipality of Rivungo. In August, authorities seized more than 43,000 liters of gasoline that was supposed to be smuggled into the Republic of Zambia. According to investigations, smugglers sell a 20-liter can of gasoline for 500 kwachas (Zambian currency), which is equivalent to about 20,000 kwanzas.
Those involved in the smuggling were transporting gasoline in 200- to 250-liter tanks, disguised as food products and construction materials. The Public Prosecutor’s Office magistrate noted that Rivungo does not have the infrastructure to justify the high consumption of gasoline, since the demand in the region is concentrated in diesel.
The judge stressed the need to implement effective strategies to combat the smuggling of petroleum products at the borders with Namibia and Zambia. He warned that due to the controls on the country’s northern and southern borders, smugglers are changing their routes and intensifying their activities in the southeastern region of Angola.
Slow Procedural Speed at the PGR Affects Service
The Deputy Attorney General also addressed the procedural delays affecting the Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) and the Criminal Offences Investigation Department (DIIP). He highlighted the movement of five Public Prosecutor’s Office magistrates to Luanda, which has caused congestion in the temporary prisons.
Despite the arrival of nine new judges in September, Nilton Muaca warned that time for adaptation is necessary to ensure efficiency in the exercise of the function. This situation contributes to the accumulation of cases in security and defense institutions.
Currently, the PGR in Cuando Cubango has 13 magistrates, distributed between the municipalities of Cuito Cuanavale, Cuchi and Calai, in addition to working with the Menongue District Court and other institutions.
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