Angolan businesswoman Isabel dos Santos assured this Thursday that she was not the only one to sign the loans from telecommunications operator Unitel to Unitel International Holdings and added that the asset freeze is just a precautionary measure.

"Contrary to what is now alleged by the nationalized company Unitel S.A., the loans from Unitel S.A. to Unitel International Holdings BV were not approved or signed by Isabel dos Santos alone," reads a note quoted by the newspaper Expresso, in which an official source of the Angolan businesswoman adds that "these loans were approved by the General Shareholders' Meeting of Unitel S.A. in 2014, and were also signed by three members of the Board of Directors."

At issue is the lawsuit filed by Unitel, now controlled by the Angolan state, against Unitel International Holdings BV, based in the Netherlands, and against businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, asking for the freezing of 580 million pounds, the equivalent of 670 million euros.

"I see no obvious basis on which Isabel dos Santos' assets should be protected in this jurisdiction; there seems to be an obvious argument in favor of a worldwide freeze on her assets," argued Judge Robert Bright in the decision published on Wednesday by the British High Commercial Court.

According to the Portuguese newspaper Expresso, the judge's decision states that it is "highly desirable that Isabel dos Santos be obliged to declare her assets, in circumstances where Unitel does not know which, if any, assets are held by her and are not covered by the seizure or freezing orders that are already in force".

Therefore, she concludes, she does not accept "the principle that the other asset freezing orders mean that it is neither fair nor convenient for this court to decide on yet another order", as defended by the businesswoman, who says she is the victim of an "oppressive campaign".

The London court's decision follows a series of lawsuits filed by the Angolan state and public and private companies against the businesswoman since João Lourenço took office as President of Angola in 2017, which also included other members of the family of José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled Angola for almost 40 years.

In December last year, the Angolan Supreme Court (TS) ordered the preventive seizure of the assets of businesswoman Isabel dos Santos, valued at one billion dollars, namely 100% of the companies Unitel T+, in Cape Verde, and Unitel STP SARL, in São Tomé and Príncipe, of which the daughter of former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos was the beneficial owner.

According to the order, among other accusations, Isabel dos Santos "also transferred sums from Unitel SA to the entity Unitel International Holdings BV, a company based in the Netherlands, incorporated on 04/05/2012 and controlled by Isabel dos Santos herself, its sole beneficial owner".

In fact, between May 8, 2012 and August 28, 2013, the note states, seven financing contracts were signed between Unitel SA and Unitel International Holdings BV, through which the former lent the latter a total of 322,979,711.00 euros and 43,000,000.00 dollars, amounts that the beneficiary company "undertook to repay within 10 years".

These loans, "in which Isabel dos Santos signed the financing contracts in her capacity as legal representative of both companies", enabled Unitel International Holdings BV to acquire shareholdings or set up companies in the telecommunications sector in Portugal, Cape Verde (Unitel T+) and São Tomé and Príncipe (Unitel STP, SARL)", the order concludes.