José Filomeno dos Santos

José Filomeno dos Santos
Born (1978-01-09) 9 January 1978 (age 46)[1]
Luanda, Angola
NationalityAngolan
Other namesZenú
Alma materUniversity of Westminster
Board member ofFundo Soberano de Angola
SpouseMaíra Fernandes
Parent(s)José Eduardo dos Santos and Filomena Sousa
RelativesIsabel dos Santos (sister)
Coréon Dú (brother)

Jose Filomeno de Sousa dos Santos (born 9 January 1978) is an Angolan businessman, and the son of Angola's former President José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled the country as a dictator from 1979 to 2017.[2] He has been arrested and convicted twice for money laundering and fraud.

Early life and education

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Jose Filomeno de Sousa dos Santos was born 9 January 1978 as single child of Filomena Sousa and Angola's former President José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled the country as a dictator from 1979 to 2017.

Career

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In 2012, José Filomeno dos Santos was appointed to the board of the Fundo Soberano de Angola (FSDEA), Angola's sovereign wealth fund[3] and in June 2013 he succeeded Armando Manuel as Chairman .[4] After President João Lourenço was elected , he dismissed dos Santos from his position before the end of his term.[5][6] is removal by Lourenço revealed a political tug-of-war in a country under political transition.[7]

Following his dismissal, Dos Santos was arrested in 2018 in connection with the authorisation of a transfer of $500 million to a British bank, which froze the funds,[6] among other charges of "criminal organization, illegal enrichment, money laundering and corruption".[8] The transfer was reportedly part of negotiations for a $30 billion concessional lending facility for Angola, the money being returned to the country’s central bank.[9][10]

Dos Santos was released in March 2019.[11] On 9 December 2019, Dos Santos appeared before the Supreme Court in Luanda, along with three co-defendants, who were also accused of money laundering and embezzlement: former governor of the National Bank of Angola Valter Filipe da Silva, Jorge Gaudens Pontes Sebastião, businessman and childhood friend of the son of the former president, and António Samália Bule, director of the BNA.[12]

On 14 August 2020, the Supreme Court of Angola sentenced dos Santos to five years in prison for fraud, money laundering, trading in influence, falsification and criminal association.[13][12]

On April 4, 2024, the Constitutional Court overturned the Supreme Court decision decision, which it deemed "unconstitutional", as certain elements provided by its defense were not taken into account by the judges.[14]

Personal life

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In August 2013, dos Santos was ranked at number 26 out of the top 100 wealth fund chiefs in the world. The rankings are an annual measurement process run by The Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute and display a desire to diversify the economy of a nation highly dependent on its petroleum exports.[15][16]

His half sister is Isabel dos Santos former head of the Angola state-owned oil company Sonangol Group, which the International Monetary Fund in 2011 asked to account for a missing US$32 billion.[17][18]

Dos Santos' father, former president José Eduardo dos Santos, lived his last years in exile in Barcelona.[19][20]

References

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  1. ^ "Zenú dos Santos Profile". Archived from the original on 2016-06-17. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  2. ^ England, Andrew (7 July 2013). "Angola fund chief José Filomeno dos Santos rebuffs nepotism charge". Financial Times. Johannesburg. Retrieved 21 November 2013.
  3. ^ Foundation, Thomson Reuters. "INTERVIEW-Angola wealth fund head denies plan to succeed president, his father". news.trust.org. Retrieved 2017-07-10. {{cite news}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "Angola names president's son to chair $5 bln sovereign wealth fund". LISBON: Reuters. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Angola sacks ex-president's son from fund". 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018 – via www.bbc.com.
  6. ^ a b "José Filomeno dos Santos named suspect in $500m fraud case". BBC. March 26, 2018.
  7. ^ Stephen Eisenhmmer (2018-03-17). "Angola's Dos Santos wants new MPLA leader chosen in Dec or April 2019". Reuters. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  8. ^ Antonio Cascais (September 26, 2018). "Angola: The fall of the dos Santos clan". Deutsche Welle.
  9. ^ Eisenhammer, Stephen. "Britain says $500 million from alleged fraud can be returned to Angola". Reuters. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  10. ^ Editorial, Reuters. "Angola charges son of ex-president dos Santos with fraud". Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ "Former Angolan president's son freed from prison". Mail & Guardian. Agence France-Presse. March 25, 2019.
  12. ^ a b Michael Pereira (2024-04-04). "Condenação de José Filomeno dos Santos foi anulada pelo Tribunal Constitucional de Angola". Expresso (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  13. ^ "Angolan ex-president's son José Filomeno dos Santos bags 5-years in jail for $500m fraud". Sellbeta Blog.
  14. ^ "Africa Angola Court Overturns Dos Santos Son's Graft Conviction". Bloomberg. 4 April 2024.
  15. ^ "Public Investor 100". The Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute. August 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-22.
  16. ^ "José Filomeno dos Santos ranked in top 30 of global sovereign wealth fund leaders" (PDF). Fundo Soberano de Angola. 14 August 2013.
  17. ^ Leslie Wroughton (January 20, 2012). "IMF finds most of Angola's missing $32 bln". Reuters. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014.
  18. ^ Africa’s richest woman, Isabel dos Santos, is told to prove her worth thetimes.co.uk. From 24 November 2018.
  19. ^ Herculano Coroado, "Angola's dos Santos calls end to 38 years in power", Reuters, 3 February 2017.
  20. ^ Estelle Maussion (31 August 2019). "Life after power: the bitter exile of Angola's ex-president Dos Santos". Retrieved 27 September 2019.
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