Angolan billionaire Isabel dos Santos has announced plans to take legal action against a consortium of journalists and its media partners over the publication of thousands of documents about her business empire.
According to a statement released by dos Santos on Monday, the documents released last week by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and its media partners were part of a 'concerted and intense campaign' against her.
She refutes the 'unfounded allegations and false affirmations' and has taken steps to initiate legal action against ICIJ and its partners, which will be managed by the international law firm Schillings Partners.
Angola has named dos Santos as a suspect over alleged mismanagement and misappropriation of funds while she was chairwoman of state oil firm Sonangol in 2016-2017.
She has denied the allegations and focused on the contents of documents revealed in the so-called Luanda Leaks regarding payments made by Sonangol under her chairmanship.
Monday's statement said Sonangol spent $90 million on Matter's services over 18 months, which she says is less than the $12 million per month spent in 2014-15 under her predecessor.
The three consulting firms - Boston Consulting Group, PwC, and McKinsey - stated last week they were cutting ties with dos Santos' businesses.
A Portuguese hacker, Rui Pinto, has taken responsibility for disclosing hundreds of thousands of files 'containing all data related to the recent revelations about dos Santos' fortune' to an African whistle-blower platform.
