Luanda – Angolan President, João Lourenço, ruled out Wednesday any institutional crisis in the country, following suspicions about the resignation of the president of the Court of Audit, Exalgina Gambôa.
In an interview to French channel RFI, the Angolan President said the country is not facing an institutional crisis, stressing that it is "too strong to say that. Too strong".
As for the start of the judicial year, the Head of State said it began Wednesday in fact. "What did not happen and why I preferred not to do so is to preside over the solemn act that, as a rule, marks the start of the judicial year (...)".
Given the latest events, Lourenço continued, namely in one of the courts “I understood that until this matter is resolved I should not preside over the solemn session to mark the opening of the judicial year”.
The president underlined that he is referring specifically to what is happening at the Court of Audit.
Regarding the Supreme Court, the Angolan Head of State said that he is aware of the existence of allegations of possible crimes in the institution, but so far nothing proves the involvement of the presiding judge.
According to a note from the Presidency of the Republic, the Head of State has accepted the resignation letter presented Wednesday by the Audit Court president, Exalgina Gambôa.
The Attorney General's Office (PGR) said Tuesday that Ms Gambôa is being accused of crimes of "possible embezzlement, extortion and corruption crimes, following investigations of public denunciation made against her”.
In the same case, Hailé Musapé Vicente da Cruz is being accused of extortion and corruption, but was not notified for being abroad.
On Monday, the President of the Republic announced in a statement that he invited Exalgina Gambôa to resign from office on February 21 due to several "occurrences" involving her, which has already happened.
The president of the Court of Audit, Exalgina Renee Vicente Olavo Gambôa, resigned last Wednesday from the position she had held since 2018.
