Portuguese banker named in Isabel dos Santos probe found dead

A Portuguese banker targeted in an investigation of Angolan former first daughter Isabel dos Santos has been found dead in his Lisbon home after apparently committing suicide, police said on Thursday.

The body of Nuno Ribeiro da Cunha “was found last evening and all indications point to a suicide”, a Portuguese police spokesman told AFP.

Da Cunha was cited in the “Luanda Leaks” documents that revealed allegations dos Santos had siphoned millions from Angolan state companies into offshore assets during her father’s long rule.

The Portuguese banker worked for Eurobic bank in which Isabel dos Santos is the main shareholder.

According to Portuguese media reports, da Cunha was the head of private banking at Eurobic and the account manager of Isabel dos Santos.

Dos Santos, the daughter of former Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos dubbed “the princess”, has been formally charged in Angola with embezzlement and money laundering among other financial crimes.

She will also face charges of influence peddling, misuse of corporate assets and forgery during her tenure as head of the Angolan state oil group Sonangol.

Eurobic said in a statement that dos Santos — who owns 42.5 percent of the bank — had taken the decision to “withdraw” as a shareholder.

Angolan prosecutors have said they will use all means to return her to Angola though her whereabouts are unclear.

Since leaving the country after her father’s rule ended in 2017, she is believed to mostly spend time in London, Lisbon and Dubai.

Angolan Attorney General Helder Pitta Gros arrived in Lisbon on Thursday to meet with his Portuguese counterpart, the prosecution confirmed, without giving further details.

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