Individual Corruption

Corruption remains widespread within the Angolan police. Among the main reasons for this, according to the US Department of State 2010, is the low salary of police officers, which leads to the practice of supplementing income through extortion and solicitation of bribes from the public. The same source reports that in cases of complaints received by the National Police, this has sometimes led to formal punishment of perpetrators within the police force, including dismissal. However, the government has not yet established formalised mechanisms to expedite investigations and punish alleged offenders, and it rarely discloses publicly the results of internal investigations.

Business Corruption

Companies should note that extortion by Angolan police officers on major commercial routes in cities is routine, as indicated by the US Department of State 2010. This is further corroborated by the World Bank & IFC Enterprise Surveys 2010, which reveals that roughly three-quarters of the surveyed companies pay for security in Angola, while just under one-third of these companies identify crime, theft and disorder as major constraints on their business operations in the country. Companies surveyed by the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012 report that the police cannot be consistently relied upon to enforce law and order.

Political Corruption

According to the Partnership Africa Canada 2007, police corruption in special reserve zones, such as major mining areas, is rampant. According to the report, the police have turned the illegal miners into a profitable private business by institutionalising corruption in their daily interactions. Thus, the police operate unchecked in major cities and extract bribes from motorists and others. Some high-ranking police officers have been found to be directly involved in this system as Patrocinadors - facilitators and protectors of the illegal trade with diamonds - and share the profits with illegal miners, Garimpeiros. Diamond smugglers are also known to benefit from the questionable integrity of police officers by bribing them at check points and airports to overlook diamonds in their luggage.

According to Global Integrity 2010, the law enforcement agencies are not protected from political interference. Similarly, appointments to the law enforcement agencies are often based on criteria other than professional, such as party loyalties. As a result of this, some law enforcement officials also enjoy protection from criminal investigations.

In October 2009, the head of the finance division of Kwanza Sul provincial police was detained on charges of corruption by the National Criminal Investigation Department (DNIC). The DNIC cited extraordinary charges and salary payments to deceased and retired police agents as a basis for detainment, according to the US Department of State 2009.

Frequency

World Economic Forum: The Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012:
- Business executives give the reliability of police services a score of 3.5 on a 7-point scale (1 'cannot be relied upon to enforce law and order' and 7 'can be relied upon to enforce law and order').

The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2010:
- 77% of companies surveyed pay for security.

- 28% of companies identify crime, theft and disorder as major constraints to doing business in the country.