LUANDA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Jose Filomeno dos Santos, son of Angola's former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, has rejected a pardon granted by incumbent President Joao Lourenco that took effect on Jan. 1, local media reported Thursday.
Jose Filomeno dos Santos, commonly known as "Zenu," was sentenced to five years in jail following his conviction for embezzling 500 million U.S. dollars during his tenure as the head of Angola's sovereign wealth fund.
According to local media Club-K, Zenu described the pardon as a "legal error" in a letter to Lourenco, arguing that it merely cancels the serving of the sentence without fully restoring fundamental rights.
He said that accepting the presidential pardon would contradict his claims of innocence, and be tantamount to admitting guilt for a crime he insisted he did not commit.
Angola's Constitutional Court overturned the previous conviction of Zenu in April 2024. However, Zenu alleged that the Supreme Court has refused to comply with the ruling and is seeking to uphold his conviction through a new judgment. He continues to assert his innocence, another media outlet Valor Economico reported.
So far, Lourenco has yet to comment on Zenu's refusal of the pardon. The presidential pardon decree, which took effect on Jan. 1, included 51 convicts released. ■
