Luanda, ANGOLA, December 21 - Valter Filipe, the defendant in the USD 500 million embezzlement trial, stated last Friday in court that he is being a target of death threats from unknown people.,

The defendant said that he was threatened with death on three separate occasions, one of them three months ago after returning from London and also recently.

Valter Filipe gave his last statement, during the evidence-giving phase of the current trial, amid scenes of weeping, high tension and displays of breathlessness.

"I ask this court that my life is at stake. I do not know the person who is doing this. In the process I am only grass," said the former governor of the Angolan National Reserve Bank (BNA).  

In response, the presiding judge, João Pitra, told the defendant that, as a jurist by profession, he is aware of the procedures in these circumstances, which include reporting to the National Police.

 

However, his lawyer, Sérgio Raimundo, warned that in the face of the complaint (denunciation) and having in view the principle of legality, as it is a public crime (death threat), the Public Prosecution Department should take measures regarding the situation.

After that, the session was interrupted for the defendant to be medicated as his blood pressure levels were rising.

Trial resumes on January 14

Following the hearing of the four defendants involved in the US $ 500 million transfer process, the court closed the hearing of the defendants at this stage of evidence.

 

In this regard, the court ruled that the trial session should resume on January 14, 2020, with the hearing of the witnesses, three in all, and 12 deponents.

According to the judge of the case, João Pitra, at that time it will be possible to have the result of the questionnaire sent by the Supreme Court to the former President of the Republic, José Eduardo dos Santos, listed in the process, at the request of the defendant’s defence lawyer.

The trial involves, besides Valter Filipe, José Filomeno dos Santos “Zenu”, former chairman of the Angola Sovereign Fund, Jorge Gaudens Pontes, businessman, and António Samalia Bule, former director of the Reserve Management Department of the BNA.

The four defendants report to the Supreme Court Criminal Chamber for an alleged illegal transfer of US $ 500 million from the Central Bank (BNA) to an account at Credit Suisse of London, England.

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