For Sindika Dokolo and Isabel dos Santos,
a stake in De Grisogono was a status symbol.
But Angola claims it has been left to foot a $200m bill
Hilary Osborne and Caelainn Barr report: The jeweller De Grisogono may not be a household name, but it has cachet among the stars. Its annual party at the Cannes film festival is a sparkling occasion, and not just for the A-listers who get to wear the diamond necklaces the company produces.
This is a glamorous world – and one in which Isabel dos Santos, Africa’s richest woman and daughter of the former president of Angola, and her husband, Sindika Dokolo, have had a place since he acquired a stake in the Swiss company in 2012. But this share of one of the world’s most prestigious jewellery makers, and the money behind it, is now part of an investigation in Angola, where prosecutors have said they are looking at allegations that the couple enriched themselves at the expense of the country….Theguardian.com
LUANDA LEAKS
How Africa’s richest woman exploited family ties, shell companies and inside deals to build an empire.
Isabel dos Santos made a fortune at the expense of the Angolan people, Luanda Leaks reveals.
- Two decades of unscrupulous deals that made Isabel dos Santos Africa’s wealthiest woman and left oil- and diamond-rich Angola one of the poorest countries on Earth.
- A web of more than 400 companies and subsidiaries in 41 countries linked to Isabel dos Santos or her husband, Sindika Dokolo, including 94 in secrecy jurisdictions like Malta, Mauritius and Hong Kong.
- How a cadre of Western business advisers moved money, set up companies, audited accounts, suggested ways to avoid taxes and turned a blind eye to red flags that experts say should have raised serious concern.
- Directed hundreds of millions of loans and contracts to her companies.
….icij.org
Engineering an Empire
Luanda Leaks exposes decades of insider deals that made Isabel dos Santos Africa’s richest woman. The trove of more than 715,000 records also reveals a vast network of shell companies used by dos Santos and her husband, Sindika Dokolo, to hold money, buy real estate and purchase stakes in banks, telecom, energy companies and more. Hit the play button to see their empire grow, or use the toggles at the top to explore by jurisdiction or industry. Download the Data:
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How Africa’s richest woman exploited family ties, shell companies and inside deals to build an empire
icij.org/investigations/luanda-leaks