But on Monday, his 44-year-old daughter – whose full name is Welwitschia dos Santos – filed a legal case against his current wife and personal doctor for attempted murder, police and her lawyers said.

In Friday’s statement, her lawyers said the complaint included allegations relating to “attempted murder, failure to exercise a duty of care, injury resulting from gross negligence and disclosure of secrets by people close to him”.

According to the complaint, she believes her father’s current wife, Ana Paula, and his personal doctor are responsible for the deterioration in his health.

She claimed her father and his wife had been separated for some time, meaning she had no right to make decisions about his health.

Police confirmed receiving the complaint and said they had opened an inquiry.

She had also asked the Spanish authorities to ensure her father’s protection and requested that only his children be allowed to visit him.

Angolan Foreign Minister Tete Antonio declined to comment on her accusations as he left the Barcelona hospital where the former president was being treated.

“We did not come here to deal with these things, we are here at a time that the people understand is a difficult moment, we don’t want to get into questions of this nature,” he told reporters.

Dos Santos ruled Angola, an oil-rich former Portuguese colony, for 38 years until stepping down in September 2017.

Born in the slums of Luanda, he was one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, using his nation’s oil wealth to turn one of his children into a billionaire while leaving his people among the poorest on the planet.

When he stepped down, dos Santos handed over to former defence minister Joao Lourenco whom he hand-picked to replace him.

But Lourenco quickly turned on his erstwhile patron, starting an anti-corruption drive to recoup the billions he suspected had been embezzled under dos Santos.