Isabel dos Santos' graft scandal ups stakes for Angola
In this file photo taken on February 5, 2018, Angolan businesswoman IsabeldosSantos arrives followed by her husband, Congolese art collector and businessman Sindika Dokolo, to attend the start of the new EFACEC Portuguese corporation's electric mobility industrial unit in Maia. PHOTO | MIGUEL RIOPA | AFP
Isabel dos Santos, the 46-year-old billionaire daughter of ex-president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is being probed for allegedly siphoning off millions from state companies and stashing the funds overseas.
The powerful businesswoman strongly denies the allegations, which she characterises as a witch hunt, and says her wealth is legitimate and earned the hard way.
To many in Angola, Isabel dos Santos became an emblem of the nepotism, cronyism and dissipated resources in her father's decades in office.
Commentators say that if Lourenco wobbles and fails to secure a conviction against dos Santos, that could weaken his much-touted anti-corruption campaign.
Luanda,
Allegations of corruption swirling around his predecessor's daughter have set a crucial test for Angolan President Joao Lourenco in his vow to reform a country rich in oil and tainted by graft.
