Angola’s former vice president Manuel Vicente failed to appear before a Portuguese court where he was scheduled to stand trial for corruption on Monday.
Portuguese prosecutors accuse Vicente of corruption, money-laundering and forgery.
They say the 61-year-old paid off a Portuguese magistrate US$ 810,000 to drop two investigations against him into alleged money-laundering and Angolan investments in Portugal.
Vicente is not only a former vice president but also served as the head of Angola’s state oil company Sonangol from 1999 until 2012.
Vicente’s lawyer is reported to have said that his client believes he has immunity from prosecution owing to his previous status.
The case has strained relations between Angola and its former colonial ruler, with Angola’s new president, Joao Lourenco, saying last month the accusation against Vicente was “offensive.”
The southern African nation’s previous leadership branded attempts by Portugal to investigate Vicente as “revenge by the former colonial master” and “neo-colonialism”.
