General João Maria Moreira de Sousa (born 1951) is a former Attorney GeneralofAngola, "the top magistrate of the Prosecuting Council".[1] In a December 2007 ceremony reconfirming his post (which has been held since at least 2004[2]) and attended by members of the press, de Sousa was photographed being sworn into officebyJosé Eduardo dos Santos, President, Head of Government, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Angola.[3]
In 2004, de Sousa stated that Angola's National Police should act against criminals rather than to quell dissent.[2]
In late 2007, de Sousa expressed satisfaction that the year was drawing to and end without an excess of people held in protective custody in Angola. He revisited this topic publicly in March 2008 when he blamed a shortage of magistrates and judges for the excess of preventive custody cases in Angola stating that the number of cases presented daily "is too high and the number of judges and attorneys existing is insufficient for us to deal with all cases in time". The Attorney General refused to reveal the number of prisoners to whom this situation applies, but said that efforts were being made to engage more qualified magistrates with the provincial courts. He added that only through the training of more magistrates would the problem be resolved.[5]
In a January 2008 interview with Rádio Nacional de Angola, de Sousa said the detention of journalist Fernando Lelo was justified based on "strong signs of crime against the State security". He denied that there were any "irregularities in his detention" [6] and said that Lelo's offenses included the incitement of Angolan Armed Forces soldiers to commit crimes.[6]
General de Sousa should not be confused with João Maria de Sousa e Almeida, Baron de Agua-Izé, a Portuguesenobleman credited with bringing the seeds of the breadfruit tree to São Tomé in 1858.[10]
