Álvaro Sobrinho Claims He Was Unaware of Losing Portuguese Nationality: 'I Didn't Choose to Leave Portugal'

Álvaro Sobrinho's Statement on Nationality Loss

Álvaro Sobrinho, the former president of BES Angola, denied knowing about the loss of his Portuguese nationality until his documents were seized in August. Speaking from Angola, he stated, "I was never notified by the IRN (Institute of Registries and Notary)." He was informed about the seizure of his citizen card and passport upon arriving at Lisbon airport from Angola.

Justice Minister's Inquiry

On November 7, Justice Minister Rita Júdice confirmed an internal inquiry was initiated to investigate what went wrong in the IRN regarding the notification for the withdrawal of Sobrinho's Portuguese identification documents, which occurred 40 years after he initially renounced his nationality.

Background of Nationality Renunciation

Sobrinho explained that he renounced his Portuguese nationality in 1984 to qualify for a scholarship from the Angolan government, which was not available to dual nationals. He was originally Portuguese through his grandfather and had been renewing his identity documents without being informed of any nationality issues.

Legal Complications and Current Status

The irregularity in his nationality status was only discovered this year when someone requested a birth certificate for Sobrinho at the IRN in Lisbon, triggering the current legal case. He stated, "I am not fleeing anywhere", clarifying that he left Portugal in August under orders from the Portuguese authorities, who issued him a 15-day exit visa. He has visited Portugal multiple times since then.

Sobrinho, who now claims to hold only Angolan nationality, is facing judicial proceedings for breach of trust and money laundering, suspected of misappropriating over 340 million euros from BES Angola. As he resides in Angola since 2001, he cannot be extradited and would need to return to Portugal voluntarily if required by the courts.