‘Slush Fund’ at the Portuguese Embassy in Angola Under Investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Court of Auditors

The investigation targets two former ambassadors in Luanda, from 2015 to 2022, who are alleged to have profited thousands of euros through the illicit rental of embassy building apartments to AICEP delegates.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Court of Auditors are investigating an alleged “slush fund” at the Portuguese Embassy in Angola, according to a report published this Thursday by the newspaper Nascer do Sol.

The investigation focuses on two former ambassadors in Luanda, João Caetano da Silva and Pedro Pessoa e Costa, between 2015 and 2022. They are suspected of profiting thousands of euros from the unauthorized rental of apartments in the embassy building to delegates from the Portuguese Trade and Investment Agency (AICEP), as well as to interns, using the funds to cover personal and representational expenses of the State outside the official accounting rules.

The Diplomatic and Consular Inspectorate-General (IGDC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has described the situation as a “parallel accounting system.” Both diplomats have already been found guilty in disciplinary proceedings. The existence of this “slush fund” was reported by the current Portuguese ambassador in Luanda, Francisco Alegre Duarte, who discovered the long-standing illegal practice upon his arrival in Angola.