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Welcome back!
Are you fabulous at crafting messages? Do you love ICIJ’s mission and like the idea of helping us be sustainable for years – and decades – to come? We're looking for a Donor Member Specialist to do just that! You’ll get to work with our international team as you take the lead of our ICIJ Insiders membership program, and drive our fundraising appeals. It’s such an important job – if you know someone, please share our listing! We’re also hiring an investigative reporter. Any questions, reply to this email.
Now, onto this week’s stories.
Bayer will pay $1.6 billion to settle tens of thousands of claims related to its birth control device Essure. Nearly 39,000 women across the United States said they suffered from health problems including severe pain, bleeding and organ damage after being implanted with the contraceptive coil. The agreement does not include any admission of wrongdoing or liability by the company.
In 2018, our Implant Files investigation revealed Essure’s manufacturers were only reporting a fraction of incidents of patient harm linked to the device – and kept it on the market despite a surge in complaints. Bayer removed Essure from the U.S. market – the last place it was sold – in 2018 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ordered a sales restriction.
Swiss authorities have frozen nearly $900 million belonging to Angolan business tycoon Carlos Manuel de São Vicente, on suspicions of money laundering. Vicente has close ties to successive presidential regimes in Angola and was the chief executive of AAA Seguros, an insurance company that was given a lucrative government monopoly under the reign of former president José Eduardo dos Santos. AAA Seguros was partly owned by Sonangol, Angola’s state-owned oil company. Swiss authorities allege Vicente transferred hundreds of millions of dollars from AAA Seguros to his personal accounts between 2012 and 2019. Vicente’s lawyers say he “strongly refutes the charges.”
Isabel dos Santos’ sprawling business empire has shrunk again. The Angolan billionaire has lost joint control of NOS – a Portuguese company that was a market leader of internet, TV, fixed and mobile telephones. Dos Santos’ business partner, Sonaecom, announced an agreement to dissolve ZOPT, the 50-50 joint venture, which owned 52% of NOS shares.
Until next week!
Amy Wilson-Chapman
ICIJ’s community engagement editor
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