In Huíla province, a lawyer was detained this week and later made a formal suspect by the public prosecutor after the Lubango prison service accused him of bringing two wraps of liamba and two packs of cigarettes into the city prison.[1] Prison officers said they frustrated the attempted introduction on Wednesday the 15th.[2] The two inmates were named as José Modesto Hininguali and Albano Ngalang Kahongo, who had just had a consultation with lawyer Anselmo Sacanje, holder of licence 11664 and member of the Angolan Bar Association.[2] The lawyer had gone to the prison for his usual visit to two detained clients.[1] After the visit, prison officers searched inside the prison and found the two inmates holding two wraps of liamba and two packs of cigarettes.[1] When questioned, the detainees said they had obtained the products through the lawyer.[1]
The Lubango prison service detained the lawyer and called in the Serviço de Investigação Criminal (SIC) to prepare the criminal case.[1] A second account says a small operation led to the lawyer’s detention and his presentation to the SIC for criminal proceedings.[2] After being presented to the public prosecutor’s office, the lawyer was made a formal suspect and released after bail was imposed.[1]
On Friday the 17th, the Huíla branch of the Angolan Bar Association went to the Lubango prison to look into the situation and safeguard the detained lawyer’s rights.[1] The association said its competent internal mechanisms would be used to establish any disciplinary responsibility arising from the facts under investigation.[1]
