Luanda - Angola's experience in the area of asset recovery was described as "remarkable and encouraging", although it is still short.
The country’s commitment to recovery of the public fund was highlighted by minister of State and Head of the Civil Affairs’ Office to the President of Republic, Adão de Almeida while speaking at the opening of the International Conference on Asset Recovery.
The President’s aide highlighted the courage of leadership, determination and mobilisation of society, as the basis for asset recovery, by Angola.
In his speech, Adão de Almeida also highlighted the good inter-institutional relationship among the bodies involved in the process, which is crucial in the recovery of assets by the Angolan State.
He underlined the fact that all this work had been carried out with "strict respect for everyone's skills", recalling that one of the first steps had been the approval of the law on the repatriation of financial resources.
Adão de Almeida said that the aforementioned law laid down a grace period of six months, in the second half of 2018, during which citizens holding illegally acquired property could return it voluntarily to the State, without criminal liability.
The Minister of State also highlighted the recent approval by the National Assembly of the public finance law.
It is a degree that will strengthen, among other things, the mechanisms for the recovery of assets, the legal situation of the State and will accelerate the processes of reintegration, for the patrimonial sphere of the State, of the recovered assets.
The official added that with the law of public appropriation, the Angolan State protects the right to private property, in addition to ensuring that the recovered goods do not lose their value.
To Adão de Almeida, the recovery of financial and non-financial assets, as well as the resulting reintegration into the patrimonial sphere of the State, is the culmination of the fight against economic and financial crime in the country.
Addressing the participants in the meeting, he found that it was imperative that asset recovery mechanisms be refined, in accordance with national legislation and the international legal order.
