Luanda – The National Assembly (AN) approved Wednesday, in the second resolution, the Angolan Penal Code Law, in response to the President’s request to review the specific articles on crimes committed in the performance of public service duties and offences against environment.
The document was approved with 164 votes in favor, none against and two abstentions.
The second Extraordinary Plenary Meeting of the IV Legislative Session also approved the changes made to the Penal Code that aggravate the sentences for taking unfair advantages (article 357), from one to five years in prison.
The penalty for the crime of embezzlement to the minimum and maximum limits of five to 14 years in prison, if the value of the appropriate thing is considerably high, while for the crime whose value is not high, the penalty was increased by one to 5 years in prison.
In the context of crimes committed in the exercise or to the detriment of public functions, the worsening of the penal framework in paragraph 1 from one to 5 years in prison and the elimination of the corresponding alternative fine penalty was approved, given that the maximum of the framework exceeds the threshold maximum referral of 360 days of fine, defined in the general part of the Code, equivalent to three years.
On active corruption of officials, the MPs approved the increase for up to two years in prison, raising the maximum limit of the penal framework to up to three years.
As for environmental crimes, parliamentarians approved the worsening of the penal framework of one to five years in prison and the elimination of the alternative fine, for exceeding the limit of 360 days of fine defined in the general part (comparable to three years in prison).
In paragraph 2 of article 282, the penalty was increased for 2 to 12 years, and the penalties provided for in paragraph 4, namely, for imprisonment up to 2 years or a fine of up to 240 days, in the first case and up to 5 years in the other .
As for the article on pollution, it was increased to the maximum limit of the penalty of paragraph 2 for 7 years, for the spread of diseases, pests, harmful animals or weeds increased to the maximum limit of the crime frame for 2 years or corresponding fine (240 days).
