Africa-Press – Angola. The Lubango District Court sentenced, this Friday, to three years in prison, with a suspended sentence, the provincial director of health in Huíla, Luciana Guimarães, for embezzlement.
In the same process, the former head of the Department of Public Health, José Hélio Tchianglala and Rosa Chilepa, head of the statistics area of the same Department, were also sentenced at the time of the facts, both to five years of effective sentence, as they equally weigh , the crimes of forgery of documents and money laundering.
The former manager of the Hotel INFOTUR, Aguinaldo de Barros, also involved in the process, as it was the unit involved in the scheme, since that was where the health technicians selected for training stayed, was sentenced to three years, also suspended.
This case resulted from the subtraction of more than nine million kwanzas, out of a total of 27 million 104 thousand kwanzas, financed by UNICEF to the National Directorate of Public Health and Control of Endemic Diseases for training 70 municipal technicians and five from the related Provincial Department, on the Insertion of Health Data in the Digital Information System, called DHS2.
The amount was allocated to the account of the Provincial Health Office of Huíla, whose training activities were carried out by specialists from the National Directorate of Public Health and Control of Endemic Diseases.
Defendant Luciana Guimarães was responsible for managing the money, assisted by technicians from the Department of Public Health, namely Hélio Tchiangalala, as the person in charge, and Rosa Soma, former head of the Statistical Accounting Section of Public Health, who were responsible for mission to execute expenses.
The amount in question was divided into various types by the Department of Public Health and the Huíla Health Office, such as transport, accommodation, cost allowance for trainees, rental of support vehicles, teaching and biosecurity material, but that was not it what happened, as pro or the court in judgment seat.
With regard to daily allowances, each trainee would have to receive 33 thousand 125 kz, but they only benefited from 20 thousand and 375 kz 89 cents, while technicians from the provincial department received 79 thousand kwanzas more after seven days, which foreseen.
Two of those convicted, namely Hélio Tchiangalala and Rosa Soma, will have to compensate the State in the amount of six million 294 thousand 944 kz and six cents, for the damage caused.
The co-defendant Aguinaldo de Barros, former manager of the Hotel INFOTUR, also involved in the process, was sentenced to two years in prison for the crime of embezzlement, as an accomplice, to one year and six months in prison for the crime of forgery of documents.
Once the legal sum is made, in light of the provisions of Article 78 of the Penal Code, he will be obliged to serve a single sentence of three years in prison, a suspended sentence, but which will have to pay 155 thousand 290 kz of compensation to the State.
The conduct of the defendants caused damages to the State in the amount of nine million 258 thousand 644 kwanzas and six cents, of which three million 664 thousand kz were recovered, with emphasis on Luciana Guimarães who added to the file the proof of return of 331 thousand kwanzas that benefited without deserving, amount deposited in the bank account of the PGR.
Initially Hélio Tchiangalala refunded the value of one million 310 thousand kwanzas and later transferred another 530 thousand to the account of the Provincial Department of Public Health.
Upon reading the sentence, the judge of the case, Anacleto Kambuta, said that the defendants showed no sign of repentance, denied the facts of which they were accused, presenting various arguments to justify the action, which is reprehensible and demonstrates that they are not prepared to continue to be public servants.
“Mitigating circumstances militate in their favor, the fact that they are primary defendants, partially confessed, with family responsibilities since they have minor children to look after and the embezzlement is of a patrimonial nature and since part of the damages have already been repaired and among others ”, clarified.
He underlined that due to the fact that the crimes in question are covered by the forgiveness provided for in Article 2 of Law 35/22 of 23 December, of the Amnesty Law, the penalties applied were pardoned by a quarter.
However, he referred that their execution will be suspended for a period of three years, provided that the defendants pay in full the amount of the compensation applied within a maximum period of one month, under the terms of article 50, in conjunction with subparagraph a, paragraph of Article 51 of the Penal Code.
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