Madrid – A daughter of Angola’s former president Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, who died on Friday in Barcelona, has demanded the hospital retain his body for an autopsy following fears of foul play.
Tchize dos Santos “has requested… that the Teknon medical centre hold onto the body… until an appropriate autopsy is carried out on fears it could be transferred to Angola,” her lawyers said in a statement.
The 79-year-old was taken to hospital and placed in intensive care after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 23, his family said.
But on Monday, his 44-year-old daughter – whose full name is Welwitschia dos Santos – filed a legal case against his current wife and personal physician for attempted murder, police and her lawyers said.
In Friday’s statement, her lawyers said the complaint included allegations relating to “attempted murder, failure to exercise a duty of care, injury resulting from gross negligence and disclosure of secrets by people close to him”.
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According to the complaint, she believes her father’s current wife, Ana Paula, and his personal physician are responsible for the deterioration in his health.
She claimed her father and his wife had been separated for some time, meaning she had no right to make decisions about his health.
Police confirmed receiving the complaint and said they had opened an inquiry.
She had also asked the Spanish authorities to ensure her father’s protection and requested that only his children be allowed to visit him.
Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio declined to comment on her accusations as he left the Barcelona hospital where the former president was being treated.
ALSO READ | Angolan Dos Santos’s crumbling family business empire
“We did not come here to deal with these things, we are here at a time that the people understand is a difficult moment, we don’t want to get into questions of this nature,” he told reporters.
Dos Santos ruled Angola, an oil-rich former Portuguese colony, for 38 years until stepping down in September 2017.
Born in the slums of Luanda, he was one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, using his nation’s oil wealth to turn one of his children into a billionaire while leaving his people among the poorest on the planet.
When he stepped down, dos Santos handed over to former defence minister Joao Lourenco whom he handpicked to replace him.
But Lourenco quickly turned on his erstwhile patron, starting an anti-corruption drive to recoup the billions he suspected had been embezzled under dos Santos.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Twitter/@Gilesspies
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