UK cracks down on Dos Santos over graft allegations

The UK has barred Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos and Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash from entering the country and frozen their UK assets in what it said was part of a new crackdown on ‘dirty money’. Al Jazeera reports that the measures two weeks ago were the first step in tightening Britain’s anti-corruption sanctions regime as promised in July’s election, the Labour Government said. ‘These unscrupulous individuals selfishly deprive their fellow citizens of much-needed funding for education, healthcare and infrastructure – for their own enrichment,’ Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. Dos Santos, whose father Jose Eduardo dos Santos served as Angola’s President for 38 years until 2017, is Africa’s first female billionaire and has faced corruption accusations in Angola and elsewhere for years. She denies the allegations and says she is the target of a long-running political vendetta. She was sanctioned by the US in 2021 for ‘involvement in significant corruption’ and is barred from entering the country. Britain said Dos Santos abused her positions at Angolan state oil firm Sonangol and telecoms company Unitel to embezzle at least $440m. Dos Santos lost an appeal to overturn an order freezing up to £580m of her assets in September as part of a lawsuit at London’s High Court brought by Unitel. Interpol has issued a red notice for her. Dos Santos said that the British sanctions were ‘incorrect and unjustified’. ‘I was not given the opportunity to defend myself against these allegations. I intend to appeal and I hope that the UK will give me the opportunity to present my evidence.’ Firtash is wanted by Ukrainian and US authorities on suspicion of embezzling nearly $500m involving Ukraine’s gas transit system. He claims the charges are without legal foundation.

Full Al Jazeera report