LISBON (Reuters) – The world’s police agency Interpol confirmed on Wednesday that it had issued a red notice to Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos, daughter of the country’s former president, asking global law enforcement to locate and temporarily arrest her.
Dos Santos, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, has faced corruption charges for years, including allegations from Angola in 2020 that she and her husband funneled $1 billion in state funds to companies in which they owned stakes during her father’s presidency, including from the oil giant. Sonangol.
Portugal’s Lusa News Agency reported on November 18 that Interpol had issued an international arrest warrant for dos Santos. But Interpol told Reuters it issued a red notice instead at the request of the Angolan authorities.
She explained that the Red Notice “is not an international arrest warrant” but “a request for law enforcement around the world to locate and temporarily detain a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.”
A source close to dos Santos said on November 19 that Interpol had not yet notified her. A spokesman for Dos Santos did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
According to Lusa, an official document related to the application to Interpol indicates that dos Santos is often in Portugal, Britain and the United Arab Emirates.
The same document cited by Llosa said dos Santos, 49, was wanted for various crimes, including alleged embezzlement, fraud, influence peddling and money laundering.
Dos Santos has given interviews recently, telling CNN Portugal on Tuesday that courts in Angola are not independent” and that judges there are “accustomed to carrying out a political agenda.”
(Reporting by Catharina Dimoni and Patricia Roa) Editing by Aislin Leng and Mark Heinrichs
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