Luanda, ANGOLA, September 24 - The acquisition of documents related to the Cuito Cuanavale battle cost the state coffers USD 2,4 million, said Monday the director of administration and finance and general services of the Military Intelligence and Security Service (SISM), Oscar Filomeno de Jesus Alves.,

In responding in trial in the case involving the former SISM chief, General António José Maria, accused of embezzlement of documents and insubordination, the general officer stated that these documents were provided by citizen Manuel Vicente Gaspar.

He mentioned that this triple-national citizen (South African, Mozambican and Portuguese) had access to documents classified as secret in the Republic of South Africa.

He provided special and secret service to SISM for its easy access to secret documents from the South African authorities.

Asked about the origin of the money for the payment of these documents, he stated that SISM is a budgeted unit, but had a special allocation from the former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos, for the acquisition of the material in question.

He explained that the amount was deposited in an account of the Angolan Investment Bank (BAI) intended solely for the payment of documents relating to the battle of Cuito Cunavale.

He said that SISM has all the proof of delivery guides of the amounts paid in cash to the citizen Manuel Vicente Gaspar, although he never had direct access to them.

He noted that the documents of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale were in direct custody of the former head of the Military Intelligence and Security Service, General António José Maria, and were in a room whose access was restricted.

For his part, the head of the SISM's legal studies office, Lieutenant General Justino Lumbugololo, considered the violation of military secrecy the withdrawal of documents from that institution.

Asked about the amount of documents relating to the Cuito Cuanavale battle, the SISM official stated that he only had contact with one document and books provided to him by General José Maria for translation.

He stressed that any document under the SISM is classified as secret and can only be released with the permission of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

António José Maria was in charge of the Military Intelligence and Security Service (SISM) from 2009 to 2017.

The trial, which began on September 12, continues on Tuesday (24) with the hearing of the deponents continuing.

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