Money Laundering in Angola Between Normative Compliance and System Effectiveness

Abstract

This article aims to analyse the legal and institutional challenges involved in the prevention and suppression of money laundering within the Angolan legal system, with particular focus on the structural tension between formal normative compliance and the practical effectiveness of the system. More specifically, it seeks to characterise the criminal framework of the offence, describe the institutional architecture built to combat the phenomenon, and critically assess the system's performance in light of the most recent official data. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative approach of an exploratory and descriptive nature, grounded in bibliographic and documentary analysis. Adopting a theoretical-dogmatic reading, the article examines the protected legal interest and the constituent elements of the offence under Law No. 5/20 of 27 January, in dialogue with the solutions adopted in Portugal and Brazil. In a second dimension, the institutional performance of the system is critically analysed based on data from the 2024 Annual Report of the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF). The results are discussed in light of empirical studies conducted in Portugal and Brazil, as well as regional reports on Sub-Saharan Africa. It is concluded that, notwithstanding a legal framework formally aligned with the standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), institutional, operational and coordination constraints persist that undermine the system's effectiveness, as evidenced by Angola's inclusion on the list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring in October 2024.