Africa-Press – Angola. The trial of generals Manuel Vieira Dias Júnior “Kopelipa” and Leopoldino do Nascimento “Dino” and lawyer Fernando Gomes dos Santos resumes this Wednesday in the Supreme Court courtroom, with the presentation of preliminary questions by the defense of Chinese citizen Yu Haiming, also named in the case.
In the last trial session, judge Anabela Valente interrupted the hearing due to the lack of a Mandarin translator for the Chinese citizen. The interruption of the trial was also due to the fact that there is an ordinary appeal in the Constitutional Court alleging the unconstitutionality of the case in question.
Lawyers request acquittal of defendants
In the last trial session, the lawyers argued for the acquittal of the defendants, arguing that the alleged crimes charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office are amnestied by virtue of the application of Law 11/16, of August 12, the Amnesty Law.In statements to the court, lawyer Amaral Gourgel, representing defendant Manuel Vieira Dias “Kopelipa”, stated that the report produced by the National Directorate of Investigation and Criminal Prosecution (DNIAP) of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as part of the preparatory investigation, concluded that, with the exception of the crimes of embezzlement and money laundering, all other crimes are subject to amnesty, pursuant to the application of Law No. 11/16, of 12 August, the Amnesty Law.
For the representative of General Leopoldino do Nascimento “Dino”, lawyer Bengula Quemba, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is admitting, in the indictment, that the law can be applied retroactively, whenever it benefits the defendant, highlighting that the 2020 Penal Code established shorter limitation periods, which are no longer 15 years.
Speaking in the session, in defense of the companies Plansmart International Limited and Utter Right International Limited, also listed in the case, lawyer Benja Satula stated that taking into account that the defendants in the case were not indicted for the crimes of “fraud by defrauding, criminal association and document forgery”, the underlying illicit act, generating profits, that would justify money laundering, does not exist.The defense of the defendant Fernando Gomes dos Santos, represented by lawyer Amaral Gourgel, justifies the acquittal of the criminal proceedings brought against the lawyer, as his intervention in the process is limited to the practice of the exercise of the profession.
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