The tender was publicly announced on 15 November 2023. In Pressionante Kianda, however, had only two workers with active registrations at the National Social Security Institute — and had to submit 20 technical profiles. Messages attributed to Bráulio Assis, chair of the tender evaluation committee, appear to show him providing advance information, suggesting responses and giving his “OK” to the company that would go on to win.

In Part I of this investigation, Maka Angola reported that Carla Trindade received tender documents before the announcement, discussed changes with AGT officials and wrote to the shareholders: “We were the ones who drafted the tender rules.” After the formal launch, that proximity continued as the bid was assembled and assessed.

Twenty Profiles and Two Registered Employees

The revised tender documents allowed bidders to draw on external resources. Even so, messages from 28 November show Kianda scrambling to assemble the minimum 20 profiles. Carla wrote: “We have 13”; then “14”; and finally, “I only need six.”

João Santos, a minority shareholder and former company manager, told Maka Angola: “When I was invited to join Kianda, I believed we would create jobs. I submitted seven CVs for people who had never worked for the company, expecting that they would be hired under the AGT contract and to meet the specialist communications and marketing requirements.”

An official document establishes the company’s declared workforce at the time. On 1 December 2023, a list issued by the National Social Security Institute, or INSS, showed only two workers with active employment registrations at In Pressionante Kianda: João António Diogo dos Santos, an administrator whose employment was recorded as starting on 1 July, and Salvador Manuel Pascoal, an administrative employee recorded as starting on 7 June. The one-year contracts attributed to them listed monthly salaries of 50,000 kwanzas (US$60).

João said those figures were reported solely for social security purposes and that, until he left Kianda’s management in October 2024, the company had only one actual employee – himself. Salvador Pascoal, another minority shareholder and a party to the dispute, said he had never received a salary or dividends. Pascoal had also been one of Carla Trindade’s postgraduate students at the Catholic University of Portugal.

Bank statements supplied by João show that he received a total of six million kwanzas in May, June and July 2024. “I never received dividends,” he said.

In messages exchanged on 1 December, one participant asked whether In Pressionante Kianda had employment contracts or proof of social security registration. The reply was: “We don’t have employment contracts. There is only one active registration from when we registered with social security (…) Just in my name.” Carla responded: “Draw one up. Because we will have to submit this.” She also instructed them to gather proof of employment for “the Portuguese employees whose names we included”, along with contracts.

Payroll declarations for October 2023 show that three related Portuguese companies had registered 57 different employees with Portugal’s social security system: nine at In Pressionante 2 Win, 32 at In Pressionante, Unipessoal, and 16 at In Pressionante Wood & Metal. None of those employees had an employment relationship with the Angolan company.

The contract AGT later signed made In Pressionante Kianda responsible for recruiting, paying, training and managing the staff required. It also stipulated that the technical team must correspond to the one presented in the bid.

“You Are Fine”

A screenshot attributed to Bráulio Assis appears to show the chair of the tender evaluation committee tracking gaps in Kianda’s documentation. After reporting that the other bidder had submitted social security records for all its employees, he told In Pressionante Kianda simply to send its response, adding: “you are fine” and “Thank God”. He also specified what should be added to the email addressed to the committee.

Messages reviewed by Maka Angola indicate that, on the same day, 1 December, Bráulio told Carla that In Pressionante Kianda and Isenta Comunicação had qualified for the next stage, while Seven had been eliminated. The formal result would only be issued later.

On 6 December, the committee formally asked In Pressionante Kianda to remedy deficiencies in its application, including the omission of turnover from its financial-capacity declaration and the lack of proof of employment and compliance with social security obligations. Messages attributed to Bráulio show him urging the bidder to complete its file because “nothing is certain until you win”, and suggesting steps it could take to obtain additional documents.

He recommended that the company register with the National Institute for the Support of Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, known as INAPEM. He added: “If you have any problems, let me know. My father was chairman there for more than 15 years.” Bráulio was referring to Francisco de António Assis, who was then Angola’s minister of agriculture and forestry.

On 18 December, Carla asked him what she needed to do for Kianda and Isenta to proceed as finalists: “Now you have to tell me what I need to do because I don’t know. I really don’t.” The reply attributed to Bráulio directed her to articles 19 and 42 of the tender rules and reassured her: “do not worry I got u boss”. Carla replied with three hearts: “you are the boss”. The finalists did not formally receive the preliminary pre-qualification report until 20 December.

Messages from December and January record Carla sending documents to Bráulio for review. “For him to give his approval,” she explained to the shareholders. On 26 January 2024, she announced: “We now have Bráulio’s approval for all the documents.”

The Revised Bid and the Rival Pushed Aside

On 2 February, according to the messages, Bráulio warned Carla that In Pressionante Kianda was at a disadvantage to Isenta over the rate charged for third-party services. Three days later, Kianda removed the proposed 15 per cent advance payment from its bid and replaced it with monthly payments for completed work. The dossier includes an unsigned draft notice from the committee that Carla received before its official dispatch. While preparing the response, she wrote that it was “already agreed with them”.

After the award, a version of the draft contract reintroduced the 15 per cent advance. Valdemar Noy Monteiro, an AGT official, rejected the change because it conflicted with the tender specifications and the accepted bid. The signed contract contains no advance and provides for monthly payments for services rendered and invoiced.

On 27 February, Carla told the shareholders that she had helped Bráulio draft AGT’s official response to Isenta’s formal challenge: “The late-filing argument was mine ;)” and “I’m not joking.” The committee’s response, signed by Bráulio that same day, did invoke the late filing. At the time, Carla represented the bidder that would go on to win. Her message records her own claim that she helped draft the response used to reject the rival bidder’s challenge.

According to the documents examined, the tender rules restricted participation to advertising agencies that were legally incorporated and licensed. In Pressionante Kianda applied for registration as an advertising agency on 1 March 2024 and obtained it on 12 March. The contract was signed on 22 April for one billion kwanzas, plus value-added tax.

The Shareholder Battle and the Contract Extensions

The shareholder dispute formally erupted on 15 November 2024. According to the notarial deed, the two Portuguese companies holding 70 per cent of the equity met through their lawyers. They accepted Maria Filipa Quadros’s resignation, removed João Santos as a company manager and appointed Carla Trindade and Mário Martins as unpaid managers. They also approved the transfer, at the nominal value of30,000 kwanzas, of In Pressionante 2 Win’s stake to In Pressionante, Unipessoal, consolidating the latter’s holding at 70 per cent. They further resolved to bring proceedings seeking the exclusion of the two minority shareholders. The deed records a decision to file those actions; it did not immediately remove the shareholders.

João and Salvador challenged the resolutions in court. On 6 March 2025, the First Section of the Commercial Chamber of the Luanda District Court issued an interim order suspending them. In Pressionante Kianda had not opposed the application, and the ruling did not finally determine ownership of the shares, control of the company or the allegations exchanged by the shareholders.

On 7 April, in separate interim proceedings, the Second Section ordered a partial freeze of Kianda’s bank accounts. At that provisional stage, the court found that preliminary indications and the risk to the company’s assets were sufficient to justify temporary protection in light of allegations of overbilling, document forgery and unjustified transfers. The order did not turn those allegations into finally established facts or convict any of the parties concerned.

While the account freeze remained in force, AGT and Kianda signed the first contract extension on 29 July 2025, worth 1.15 billion kwanzasd. On 25 September, the court lifted the freeze because the applicants had failed to take the procedural step required to advance their appeal within the statutory 48-hour period. The decision was purely procedural and did not reconsider the merits of the allegations.

On 27 May 2026, José Leiria signed the second extension, taking the contract into a third year. The aggregate amount stated in the original contract and the two addenda reached 3.15 billion.

Who Was Assessing Whom?

INSS records establish that Kianda had only two active employment registrations as it sought to assemble 20 profiles. Messages attributed to the chair of the tender evaluation committee appear to show him disclosing results in advance, advising the bidder on its responses, reassuring it and reviewing its documents.

In jurist Rui Verde’s legal opinion, the evidence described compromises the principles of impartiality, equality and competition and could render the procurement process, the contract and its extensions void. He also considers that the facts warrant an investigation into potential financial, disciplinary or criminal liability.

AGT awarded and renewed the contract. The bidder received documents before the announcement, took part, according to its own messages, in revising the requirements and retained a direct channel to the official chairing its evaluation. The question AGT has yet to answer is simple: who was assessing whom?

The research into the relationship between AGT and In Pressionante Kianda comprises a further four articles, which will be published in sequence over the coming week.

Editor’s note: Maka Angola gave José Leiria, Bráulio Assis and Carla Trindade at least 72 hours to respond. By the time this article was finalised, none had sent a response directly to Maka Angola for publication. Their rights of reply and correction remain fully protected under Angolan law.

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