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Senior Migration Service official arrested in Angola

Luanda, Dec 24 (Prensa Latina) The Angolan Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) arrested today the director of Migration Acts of the Migration and Immigration Service (SME), Maria Emília Pinto Cassule, for several alleged crimes.

According to a release SIC sent to the media, she’s been accused of criminal association, documents forgery, use of illegal advantages and actively bribing public officials.

The document specifies that there is strong evidence of her participation in a fraudulent scheme to issue passports, residence cards, temporary stay visas, work visas, among other migratory acts, in exchange for large sums of money.

Her arrest follows an exhaustive criminal investigation in force since 2023, after several complaints came to light about irregularities in obtaining such documents.

The SIC also points out that once all the procedures have been completed, the Pinto Cassule case will be presented to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which must continue with the criminal process.

In recent months, the SME has been the subject of several investigations for various irregularities and on October 25, the Angolan president, João Lourenço, dismissed the Commissioner for Migration, João António da Costa Dias, from his position as general director of the Service.

Among other relevant irregularities published by the local press are lack of transparency in entering courses and then the SME, as well as deficiencies in the use of service passports.

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