Angola AGT: In Pressionante Kianda Corruption Probe Uncovers Irregularities

• Investigations by Maka Angola allege corruption and irregularities within Angola's General Tax Administration (AGT) involving its leadership and the company In Pressionante Kianda.
• José Leiria, former AGT chairman, and Bráulio Assis, now Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State for Tax Affairs, are implicated in allegations of tender manipulation and conflicts of interest.
• Carla Castelo Trindade, an AGT advisor on tax-crime investigations, is linked to the companies involved and had prior academic relationships with key AGT figures.
• In Pressionante Kianda signed a €542,400 contract with AGT for fair production and supplies two weeks before its official incorporation.
• Allegations include inflated pricing for goods, such as cotton candy machines, and the transformation of a competitor's proposal into a contract for a non-existent company.

These detailed allegations of Angola AGT In Pressionante Kianda corruption highlight a concerning pattern of potential state capture within the nation's General Tax Administration.

The Angolan General Tax Administration (AGT) is currently under scrutiny following investigations by Maka Angola into alleged corruption and irregularities involving its leadership and the company In Pressionante Kianda. José Leiria, who served as chairman of the AGT until September 8, 2026, before his appointment as secretary of state for tax affairs, is a central figure in these inquiries. His successor, Bráulio Assis, previously AGT's communications chief, was appointed Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State for Tax Affairs on October 1, 2026, and is also implicated in the ongoing probe concerning the agency's dealings with the aforementioned company.

The investigation highlights how In Pressionante Kianda, an Angolan entity, reportedly influenced the tender process for a contract it subsequently secured. Communications attributed to Mr. Assis suggest he provided guidance to the bidding company while simultaneously presiding over the tender's evaluation committee. Further allegations point to questionable financial practices, such as two Portuguese firms billing In Pressionante Kianda €8,033.20 for three cotton candy machines intended for children's fairs organized by AGT, despite a former Angolan shareholder, João dos Santos, claiming receipt of only one machine. A contemporary quotation from Portugal indicated a new machine could be purchased for €300 plus VAT, underscoring a significant price discrepancy.

The Maka Angola investigation delves into the intricate web of relationships between AGT and businesses linked to Portuguese couple Carla Castelo Trindade and Mário Martins. Ms. Castelo Trindade, a lecturer at the Catholic University of Portugal, had previously taught Mr. Leiria during his master's program and also supervised the master's dissertation of Salvador Pascoal, another Angolan partner in Kianda. These academic ties appear to have extended into business, raising significant conflict of interest questions. In Pressionante Kianda was incorporated on June 7, 2023, with Mário Martins' associated Portuguese companies, In Pressionante Unipessoal and In Pressionante 2Win, holding a 70% stake, while Angolan partners Pascoal and João dos Santos held 20% and 10% respectively. Pascoal asserts that the Portuguese couple never paid their initial 70,000 kwanzas contribution, which was then less than €50.

Further ethical concerns arise from Ms. Castelo Trindade's current role as an advisor to AGT on tax-crime investigations, a position for which she has billed over 551 million kwanzas in eighteen months. Ironically, on September 2, she organized a seminar on combating fraud, corruption, and money laundering for high-ranking officials from various Angolan state entities, including AGT and the prosecutor general's office. The timeline of events also reveals that on April 19, 2023, Ms. Castelo Trindade discussed presenting her husband's companies to Mr. Leiria, who then instructed directors to arrange an online meeting. Despite Ms. Castelo Trindade acknowledging that their Angolan operation had no activity and she "didn't want too much to be made up," Kianda was not incorporated until seven weeks later. Notably, on May 12, 2023, AGT forwarded a 72.3 million kwanza proposal from another company, Made in Luanda, for a children's fair, to Ms. Castelo Trindade. She subsequently transformed this into a 70 million kwanza proposal for Kianda, even though the company did not legally exist at the time. Just two weeks before its official incorporation, on May 22, 2023, Kianda signed a €542,400 contract with In Pressionante Unipessoal for fair production and supplies, with Mário Martins signing on behalf of the Portuguese entity.

These detailed allegations of Angola AGT In Pressionante Kianda corruption highlight a concerning pattern of potential state capture within the nation's General Tax Administration. The advancement of officials whose conduct is under significant scrutiny, such as José Leiria and Bráulio Assis, to positions of greater authority, fuels public apprehension regarding the integrity of government institutions. The reported "Angola General Tax Administration fraud" and "Angola public procurement irregularities" are particularly alarming in a country where basic needs for millions of children, including access to food and education, remain unmet.

The intertwining of personal relationships, academic mentorship, and lucrative public contracts, as seen with Carla Castelo Trindade and her associates, underscores the systemic challenges in ensuring ethical governance and transparent public procurement processes. The substantial sums involved in these contracts, coupled with alleged financial discrepancies and conflicts of interest, suggest a potential diversion of public funds. This situation necessitates rigorous investigation into the ethics of José Leiria Bráulio Assis and the potential conflict of interest involving Carla Castelo Trindade AGT dealings, to restore public confidence and safeguard national resources from exploitation by "state capture Angola tax officials."

Lawyers and compliance officers operating in Angola should note the significant corruption allegations and potential for state capture within the General Tax Administration (AGT). This necessitates heightened due diligence on public procurement contracts and engagements with Angolan officials, particularly those linked to current or former AGT leadership, to mitigate legal, financial, and reputational risks for their clients or organizations.

Source: Original reporting via Maka Angola.