Luanda, Dec. 9, 2024 (Lusa) - The Angolan attorney general's office (PGR) will set up a pilot unit in Luanda next year to change the way the public prosecutor files charges in the district courts, the attorney general announced on Monday.
Helder Pitta Grós was speaking at the opening of the debriefing meeting of the judicial regions, entities created in 2019 to supervise and coordinate the activity of all the provincial structures of the PGR.
The PGR currently has five judicial regions: Luanda, Bengo and Cabinda; North; South; Centre and East.
At issue is the drafting of accusations by the criminal police or investigative bodies, according to a PGR source contacted by Lusa.
"A pilot unit for drawing up charges will be set up in Luanda at the beginning of next year, so we will do everything we can to ensure that the other provincial bodies follow suit and in this process the regional leaders will play an important role in bringing about this change in procedure," said the PGR official.
Helder Pitta Grós also advocated proper and autonomous facilities for the public prosecutor's office to operate alongside the criminal police, as well as the legal enshrinement of its competences for better performance, and the construction of PGR headquarters in the country's new provinces, which have grown from 18 to 21 as a result of the political-administrative division.
"We recognise the budgetary difficulties we are facing, but the implementation of this measure is very important because in order to make our work with the criminal police more effective, we will need facilities that allow us to better manage our human, technical and technological resources," he added.
Pitta Grós reaffirmed his commitment to the fight against corruption and pointed to violent crime, domestic violence, economic and financial crimes, vandalising public property, fuel smuggling, crimes against fauna and flora and computer crimes as crimes that are among the PGR's priorities "since they affect healthy coexistence in society and are real obstacles to the consolidation of the democratic state and the rule of law"
Last week, the attorney general said, in Botswana that, in recent years, the Angolan state has investigated damage to its treasury to the tune of US$100 billion (€94 billion) and recovered goods and assets worth around US$6 billion (€5.6 billion) "which are being applied to social projects".
Assets worth around US$12 billion (€11 billion) have been seized or placed under embargo, of which US$3 billion (€2.8 billion) has already been the subject of a final court decision.
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