Offshore Leaks Record

Angola ยท Luanda Leaks

Isabel dos Santos: offshore leaks and what happened next

Charged As of November 2025, dos Santos had been committed for trial in Angola on the remaining charges, the committal order was under appeal, no verdict had been reported, and she denies wrongdoing. No later development was found in October 2026 searches.6,7

Being named in a leak is not evidence of wrongdoing, and owning an offshore company can be legal. Each record sets out what was reported, the person's response, and what official action, if any, followed.

What was reported

ICIJ reported that dos Santos built a business empire with help from family ties, shell companies and insider deals, and that it found more than 400 companies and subsidiaries in 41 countries linked to her and her husband. ICIJ also reported a 38 million dollar payment from Sonangol to a Dubai consulting firm linked to her business partner.1

Response

Through her lawyers, dos Santos denied all wrongdoing, said the Dubai payments were for legitimate services and described the actions of the Angolan government as a witch hunt and political persecution, ICIJ reported.1

What happened afterwards

  1. Charged, Angolan prosecutorsICIJ, citing Lusa, reported that Angolan prosecutors charged her with embezzlement and money laundering in 2020 and asked Interpol to issue a Red Notice.2
  2. Court ruled, High Court of England and Wales (Commercial Court)The High Court in London granted Angolan telecoms company Unitel a worldwide freezing order over up to 580 million pounds of her assets in a civil case over loans. She denied wrongdoing.3
  3. Charged, Attorney General's Office of AngolaAngolan prosecutors filed an indictment listing 12 crimes, including money laundering, embezzlement and tax fraud, over her time as Sonangol chair, ICIJ reported.2
  4. Court ruled, Court of Appeal of England and WalesThe Court of Appeal rejected her appeal against the Unitel freezing order, Reuters reported.4,5
  5. Court ruled, Supreme Court of AngolaLusa reported that in its committal decision at the pre-trial stage the Supreme Court dropped four of the 11 charges, criminal association and abuse of power, and two charges, document forgery and tax fraud, which it declared time barred. The remaining charges include embezzlement and money laundering. The defendants appealed the committal order. No trial date or verdict has been reported.6,7

Sources

  1. ICIJ, How Africa's richest woman exploited family ties, shell companies and inside deals to build an empire (19 January 2020)
  2. ICIJ, Isabel dos Santos charged with 12 crimes in Angola over her dealings as Sonangol chair (19 January 2024)
  3. ICIJ, Luanda Leaks: Isabel dos Santos loses fight against $733 million asset freeze (21 December 2023)
  4. Judiciary of England and Wales, Isabel dos Santos v Unitel SA [2024] EWCA Civ 1109 (30 September 2024)
  5. Polity (Reuters), Angola's Isabel dos Santos loses appeal against freezing order over assets (Reuters) (30 September 2024)
  6. VerAngola (Lusa), Tribunal deixa cair quatro dos 11 crimes de que era acusada Isabel dos Santos (Lusa) (18 November 2025)
  7. ECO, Supremo angolano absolve Isabel dos Santos de crimes de que era acusada (18 November 2025)