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Friends of Angola
Tel: +244 931 514 967/+1 202-926-5772
E-mail: info@friendsofangola.org
Your Excellency Hélder Fernando Pitta Gróz
Attorney General of the Republic
Rua Moisés Cardoso Kamy, Ingombota, PGR Headquarters
Luanda Angola
January 13th, 2025
RE: Second request for clarification on the mysterious entry of Trafigura and Mota-Engil into the consortium that will manage the Lobito Corridor for the next 30-50 years in Angola
Mr. Attorney General Hélder:
It was with great joy that we received the news of the United States of America's investment in Angola, namely in the Lobito Corridor. However, we are concerned about the lack of transparency in the involvement of the Swiss company Trafigura and the Portuguese company Mota-Engil in the consortium called the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) which “won” the concession to manage the Lobito Corridor for a period of 30-50 years, winning the tender, a proposal supported by China.
In May 2021, the Chinese company China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. (CCCC) (owned by the People's Republic of China) entered Mota-Engil's share capital, taking a 32.4% stake.
In July 2022, the Angolan government selected a consortium of Trafigura, Singapore, the Portuguese construction group Mota-Engil and the Belgian private operator Vecturis for a 30-year concession to operate and maintain the Lobito corridor, with the option to extend the contract for a further 20 years, beating three Chinese state-owned companies, CITIC, Sinotrans and CR20.
In October 2022, Mota Engil acquired 20% of the shares in the same company (Mota Engil) belonging to the state oil company Sonangol through the Angolan Institute for Asset Management and State Holdings (IGAPE) for 23.2 million euros.
The Angolan bank Millennium Atlântico, which controlled 29% of the construction company, then sold its stake to Mr. Valdomiro Minoru Dondo, without disclosing the cost of the purchase. The businessman, who was born in Brazil and also has Angolan nationality, with interests in various sectors, such as banking, real estate and communications, and links to politically exposed persons (PEPs).
Mr. Pitta Gróz, when President João Lourenço came to power in 2017, he promised to fight corruption in Angola, including within his political party, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which made it seem to us that he would govern with a vision to ensuring transparency in his actions. In order to guarantee the commitment of the current Executive in the fight against corruption in Angola and given that this investment is being made not only by Angola, but also by the United States of America and the European Union, we ask you to (1) declare the amount paid by Mr. Valdomiro Minoru Dondo for the 29% of the shares from Millennium Atlântico bank, (2) explain how Trafigura - known for its links with politically exposed people in Angola, some were snctioned by the United States and accused of being involved in corruption and money laundering cases, (3) and Mota-Engil, with their mysterious share transactions, secured positions in the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration, we look forward to your response to the questions raised above.
Sincerely,
Florindo Chivucute
Executive Director
Friends of Angola
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