Isabel dos Santos lashes out over UK’s ‘dirty money’ sanctions

Angolan tycoon Isabel dos Santos, once dubbed ‘Africa’s richest woman’, has hit out at the United Kingdom (UK) for imposing sanctions on her, telling the BBC the move came as a surprise as she had not been found guilty of “any corruption in any court in any country”.

Last month, the daughter of Angola’s former president was described by the UK government as a “notorious kleptocrat” and slapped with an asset freeze and travel ban for allegedly siphoning wealth out of oil-rich Angola.

She said Angola’s government was behind a campaign to tarnish her image.

“It’s political at the end of the day,” Dos Santos, 51, told the BBC Africa Daily podcast from her base in Dubai.

“There was not an inquiry, where somebody came and investigated and looked at evidence or asked me to clarify. There was no due process,” she said.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the sanctions on Dos Santos as part of his campaign to crack down on “dirty money”.

A government statement alleged she had “systematically abused her positions at state-run companies to embezzle at least £350m [$442m], depriving Angola of resources and funding for much-needed development”.

A spokesperson for Angola’s attorney-general said it was not a political institution and only investigated evidence of alleged criminality. They said she had been accused of several crimes and so needed to defend herself.
A spokesperson for the British foreign office said that under Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations, the UK could “designate an individual where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the individual is or has been involved in serious corruption”. They also pointed out that anyone sanctioned could ask for a review at any time.
The allegations against Dos Santos, which she denies, were first made in 2020 when BBC Panorama reported on leaked documents that had been shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The exposé , known as “Luanda Leaks”, alleged that one of the most suspicious deals had been made via a London-based company.
“There was not an inquiry, where somebody came and investigated and looked at evidence or asked me to clarify. There was no due process,” she said.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced the sanctions on Dos Santos as part of his campaign to crack down on “dirty money”.
A government statement alleged she had “systematically abused her positions at state-run companies to embezzle at least £350m [$442m], depriving Angola of resources and funding for much-needed development”.

A spokesperson for Angola’s attorney-general said it was not a political institution and only investigated evidence of alleged criminality. They said she had been accused of several crimes and so needed to defend herself.

A spokesperson for the British foreign office said that under Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions Regulations, the UK could “designate an individual where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the individual is or has been involved in serious corruption”.

They also pointed out that anyone sanctioned could ask for a review at any time.

The allegations against Dos Santos, which she denies, were first made in 2020 when BBC Panorama reported on leaked documents that had been shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

The exposé , known as “Luanda Leaks”, alleged that one of the most suspicious deals had been made via a London-based company. – BBC