A key suspect in the "Luanda Leaks" investigation has died in an apparent suicide. The death comes as Angolan authorities investigate the business dealings of billionaire Isabel dos Santos.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. de Melo Moreira
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A Portuguese banker named in the Angola corruption scandal was found dead in his Lisbon apartment, police said Thursday.
Nuno Ribeiro da Cunha appeared to have hanged himself in the garage of his home late Wednesday, a police statement said. Authorities had previously linked the banker to an investigation targeting Isabel dos Santos, the billionaire daughter of Angola's former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos.
Ribeiro da Cunha, who according to police had tried to kill himself earlier this month, was the head of private banking at Lisbon-based EuroBic, where Isabel dos Santos, reputedly Africa's richest woman, has a majority 42.5% stake. The bank says she now plans to sell that portion.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published a trove of files last week reportedly showing how dos Santos siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars of public money into offshore accounts.
Dos Santos denial
In excess of 715,000 documents — dubbed "Luanda Leaks" — have been investigated by 120 reporters in 20 countries, including Germany.
Meanwhile, dos Santos denied the accusations against her and promised "to fight through the international courts to defend my good name."
"The allegations which have been made against me over the last few days are extremely misleading and untrue," she said in a statement.
Africa's most powerful women
Women in Africa are confronting patriarchy on the political and economic landscape and some are coming out on top. Here are nine of Africa's most powerful women.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/A. Ajayi
Africa's first woman president
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first elected woman leader of an African state. As president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, she worked to fight unemployment, national debt, and Ebola. Johnson Sirleaf won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to security and the rights of women. Today she chairs a UN High-Level Panel on Migration in Africa.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/EFE/EPA/J. Lizon
A big step for the women of Ethiopia
Sahle-Work Zewde is the president of Ethiopia since October 2018. The role is considered largely ceremonial as power lies with the prime minister and the Council of Ministers. Zewde's election is considered a great step forward in Ethiopia, where men dominate politics and business. Half of the Ethiopian cabinet is made up of women.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/E. Soteras
The supreme advocate of the Francophone world
Louise Mushikiwabo, the former foreign minister of Rwanda, becomes Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophonie in 2019. Mushikiwabo was elected despite the fact that Rwanda replaced French with English as the main language for administration, business and education a decade ago. Her appointment is seen as a diplomatic triumph, supported by the French president.
Nigerian Amina Mohammed has been deputy secretary general of the United Nations since January 2017. She had worked with the UN on the Millennium Development Goals from 2002 to 2005, Mohammed later served as special advisor to the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and worked for a year as Nigeria's environment minister under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Image: picture-alliance/empics/B. Lawless
Debt fighter at the helm of government
In Namibia, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has led the government since March 2015, when she became the first woman to do so. She previously served as finance minister, pursuing the ambitious goal of reducing the national debt. The economist has been a member of Namibia's National Assembly since 1995.
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Oil princess in disrepute
Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola's ex-president Jose dos Santos, is Africa's wealthiest woman. She amassed some of her wealth after her father made her director of the state-owned oil company in 2016. The new president of Angola dismissed her in one of his first official acts and initiated a corruption probe.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/epa/B. Fonseca
Power broker in the background
Jaynet Kabila, the twin sister of the Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila and daughter of the former president Laurent Kabila, is known for her secrecy and diligence. She is a lawmaker who owns a television, Internet and radio company. In 2015, the French magazine Jeune Afrique declared her to be the most influential person in government.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. D. Kannah
A cabinet minister making history
Kamissa Camara, the youngest and first female foreign minister in the history of Mali, is a newcomer to foreign policy. The 35-year-old was appointed to cabinet by re-elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and is now one of 11 women in a government comprised of 32 cabinet ministers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Cattani
An oil magnate and benefactor
Nigerian Folorunsho Alakija is worth $1.6 billion (€1.4 billion). The oil production in Nigeria country makes the owner of Famfa Oil the third richest person in the country. Forbes Magazine lists her among the richest people worldwide. The 67-year-old has a foundation that supports widows and orphans.
Image: picture-alliance/NurPhoto/A. Ajayi
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If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/.
