Angolan President João Lourenço has pardoned approximately 50 prisoners, including José Filomeno dos Santos, the son of former President José Eduardo dos Santos, who was serving a five-year sentence for embezzlement.
The presidential decree, shared on Facebook on Wednesday, cited “good behaviour” and the “absence of social danger” as reasons for the pardon, which aligns with Angola’s upcoming 50th independence anniversary next year. The decree emphasized fostering a “climate of harmony, leniency, indulgence, concord, and fraternity.”
José Filomeno, 46, was convicted in 2020 for embezzlement and influence trafficking after $500 million was illegally transferred from Angola’s national bank to an account in the UK. The case marked Angola’s first major anti-corruption conviction following President Lourenço’s rise to power in 2017.
The pardon comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of the Dos Santos family. In November, the UK sanctioned Isabel dos Santos, José Filomeno’s sister and Africa’s richest woman, accusing her of embezzling at least £350 million ($443 million) through her roles in state-run companies, including oil giant Sonangol. Isabel, who remains wanted by Angolan authorities, denies any wrongdoing, and the Dos Santos family has described the allegations as a politically motivated witch hunt.
The presidential clemency aims to turn a page on a contentious chapter in Angola’s political landscape as the nation prepares to celebrate half a century of independence.
