Africa-Press – Angola. The reading of the questions of the trial of prosecutor Natasha Sulaia, which began this Thursday, in the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, in Luanda, was scheduled for October 4th.
46 years old, Natasha Sulaia is accused of the crime of abuse of power, in the case registered under number 16/20, in which the Public Prosecutor’s Office is a participant, with the judge advisor of the Supreme Court João Fuantoni as rapporteur of the case.
The facts date back to 2017, when Natasha Sulaia sought an order to ban Christopher Sugrue, a partner in a commercial partnership relationship with his family, from leaving the country, after the parties had interrupted the business linked to the management of a housing complex, located on Cabo Island, in Luanda.
According to the records, the defendant, using the capacity of attorney, issued a letter, on non-lettered paper, with the subject: “Interdiction – International Arrest Warrant against Christopher Sugrue”, in which she attested that he was indicted in the case. 3,771/17 with crimes of breach of trust, qualified theft, threat and entry into someone else’s property.
In it, he requested the Emigration and Foreigner Service (SME) to ban this foreign businessman, holding more than two nationalities, as soon as he presented himself at the borders of the national territory.
With this objective, he also sought to use the attorney general’s influence with the Criminal Investigation Services (SIC).
In addition to the evidence production phase, during this Thursday’s session, the declarants, Alexandre Janota, magistrate of the Public Ministry (MP), and Ildefonso Massango, lawyer, were also heard.
The first declarant represented the MP at the SIC in the Ingombota District, while the second, at the material time, worked as building manager for the company AGPV, linked to Christopher Surgrue and other partners.
However, after the evidence production phase, the allegations presented by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, represented by prosecutor Simão Chapopia, were in the sense that the Court declare the defendant’s conduct as not punishable, since in light of the law under the which this (defendant) committed the acts, it was proven that the crime was not consummated.
He said it was an attempted crime, or attempt, since the new penal code, in force since November 11, 2021, put an end to the frustrated crime.
“The completed crime attributed to the defendant was punishable by a sentence of up to two years in prison and the current regime says that in cases where the sentence does not exceed three years the attempt is not punishable” and, for that reason, the Ministry Public encouraged that the defendant not be punished, he argued.
The defense lawyer, Claudino Pereira, considered the MP’s position to be firm, stressing that it was in line with what was expected, taking into account that, in his opinion, the accusations did not substantiate what his constituent is accused of.
“We saw that from the facts imputed to him there was no crime. He did not commit a crime,” she said, hoping that she will be acquitted.
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