Miss Universe clarifies fraud allegations tarnishing Angola's crown

By Rafael Abreu Posted Sep 14th 2011 09:36PM

Miss Universe 2011 Leila Lopes's reign was questioned Wednesday, after allegations that false documentation was used to help her earn her participation in the prestigious pageant.

The press office of Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization denied that anyone by the name of Charles Mukano was involved in the alleged forgery of documentation that allowed Leila Lopes to participate and win Miss Angola UK, which would've effectively elevated her to the Miss Universe pageant.

According to Argentine daily Infobae on Tuesday, the organizer of the the pageant that crowned her Miss Angola in her home country, a man by the name of Charles Mukano, apparently falsified the beauty's documentation so that she could participate in the Miss Universe pageant.

The Infobae report went on to say that Mukano helped Lopes reach the Miss Angola UK pageant, in which only Angolan women who live in Great Britain participate, in spite of the fact that Lopes presumably lived in Angola.

The report also said that Mukano allegedly obtained false documentation that said Lopes is a business administration student in Great Britain. Infobae's report also said that in 2009, Mukano was questioned about false documents he obtained after a Cape Verde citizen came close to winning Miss Angola.

The Miss Universe Organization also acknowledged a rumor that Lopes is of Cuban ancestry and speaks Spanish.

So far, Leila Lopes has not responded to the allegations. However, the Miss Universe Organization said in the Thursday email to AOL Latino that, "We also heard the rumor that her parents were from Cuba and [that] she speaks Spanish, which is false." The email went on to say that, "We have never heard of [Charles Mukano]. The national director who ran the Miss Angola pageant is Renato Guttler."

Should Miss Universe strip Leila Lopes of her crown?

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Miss Universe 2011

Check out everything that happened during this year's Miss Universe 2010 beauty pageant, in Las Vegas, onstage, behind the scenes and on the red carpet.

Miss Universe 2011

The top ten finalists stand together during the Miss Universe pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. From left to right are Miss Australia Scherri-lee Biggs Miss Costa Rica Johanna Solano, Miss France Laury Thilleman, Miss Ukraine Olesia Stefanko, Miss Portugal Laura Goncalves, Miss Panama Sheldry Saez, Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup, Miss Angola Leila Lopes, Miss China Luo Zilin and Miss Brazil Priscila Machado. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Miss Universe 2011

** ADDS NAMES AND COUNTRIES ** The sixteen finalists stand in line during the Miss Universe pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. A group of 89 beauty queens from six continents are competing for the Miss Universe crown. From right to left are Miss France Laury Thilleman, Miss Kosovo Aferdita Dreshaj, Miss Colombia Catalina Robayo, Miss China Luo Zilin, Miss Angola Leila Lopes, Miss Australia Scherri-lee Biggs, Miss Puerto Rico Viviana Ortiz, Miss Brazil Priscila Machado, Miss Netherlands Kelly Weekers, Miss USA Alyssa Campanella, Miss Ukraine Olesia Stefanko, Miss Panama Sheldry Saez, Miss Costa Rica Johanna Solano, Miss Portugal Laura Goncalves, Miss Philippines Shamcey Supsup, Miss Venezuela Vanessa Goncalves. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Miss Universe 2011

The sixteen finalists stand in line during the Miss Universe pageant in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. A group of 89 beauty queens from six continents are competing for the Miss Universe crown. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Miss Universe 2011

In this image released by Miss Universe Organization, L.P. LLLP, Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarrete, center, teases contestants, from left, Miss Vietnam 2011 Hoang My Vu, Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella, Miss Sweden 2011 Ronnia Fornstedt, and Miss Russia 2011 Natalia Gantimurova, with the crown onstage during dress rehearsal of the 2011 Miss Universe Competition at Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. (AP Photo/Miss Universe Organization, L.P. LLLP)

Miss Universe 2011

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 11: Athlete Drew Taylor (L) and Miss Universe Canada 2010 Elena Semikina attend Sony Pictures Classics 20th Anniversary Party at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2011 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Sonia Recchia/Getty Images for Sony Pictures Classics)

Miss Universe 2011

In this Friday, Sept. 9, 2011 photo, Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization, smiles during a interview in Sao Paulo, Brazil. "It's our 60th anniversary, it's a very big show, we're anticipating close to a billion viewers from around the world," Shugart said. The 60th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant is scheduled to be broadcast from Sao Paolo on Sept. 12. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Miss Universe 2011

FILE - In this Aug. 29, 2011 file photo, Miss Brazil Priscila Machado kicks the ball during a soccer match in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on Sept. 12. Miss Universe contestants from six continents spent the last three weeks in South America's largest city, trying to learn samba dance steps, visiting impoverished kids and kicking a football around for cameras as the globe's biggest beauty contest is held in Brazil for the first time. The 60th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant will be broadcast on Sept. 12. Last year's winner was Mexico's Jimena Navarrete. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

Miss Universe 2011

FILE- In this Aug. 26, 2011 file photo, beauty pageant contestants; Miss Argentina, Natalia Rodriquez, center, Miss Chile, Vanessa Ceruti, left, and Miss Cyprus Andriani Karantoni, right, dance during their visit to a samba school in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Contestants from six continents spent the last three weeks in South America's largest city, trying to learn samba dance steps, visiting impoverished kids and kicking a football around for cameras as the globe's biggest beauty contest is held in Brazil for the first time. The 60th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant is scheduled to be broadcast from Sao Paolo on Sept. 12. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

Miss Universe 2011

Filed under: Miss Universe 2011, Latino Celebrity News, Miss Universe Photos, Miss Universe News, Miss Universe Videos
Tags: Charles Mukano, Leila Lopes, miss universe, Miss Universe 2011, Miss Universe 2011 fraud, MissUniverse

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Celestrellas y tu opinión

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4 15 09

By zola

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All of you who think only light skinned women should WIN in these pageants have to be out of your minds. When black women were your ancestors house keepers ,and baby sitters you didn't have anything negative about them then .So why wait until now to air your dirty stuff. And as far as Mr. Obama is concerned you fools must not know that Hawaii is one of the United States..That is where he was born, you can't fake a birth certificate.You must have been bonr in the jungle where they don't issue one. LOL

4 15 09

By huh?

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"only Angolan women who live in Great Britain participate"

WTF...
She lives in Angola, the name of the country on her sash, not like she was pretending to be from Kenya or something. she is from where she said she was from. It is idiotic to only take girls if the only live in Great Britain.

idiots

4 15 09

By Dmoongo

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From the story, it appears she gained intry to the Miss Universe contest by having won the Miss Angola UK pageant, in which only Angolan women who live in Great Britain participated. What the story doesn't say is whether there is a Miss Angola from Angola. Strange.

4 15 09

By nick

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Sounds like in the good old USA.

4 15 09

By Manny fresh

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She participated on miss Angola Uk, then had to participate on the miss Angola and won, and now Miss universse! These lies are really upsetting me

4 15 09

By wave

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Totally agree!!!

5 16 09

By Jim

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To "huh"

Yea you are not understanding the rules. Rules are rules and without them we wind up with a President called Obama.

No big deal here though, Miss Ukraine is even hotter!

4 15 09

By Bruce

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Seems to me it was Fixed Game..
Their is only 3 Women From Angola in the UK that Weigh under 200lbs..She was shoe in..
;-0)

4 15 09

By MOONFISH

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Ok Donald what did you do this time? You are the world's famous birther.

5 16 09

By Harold

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Miss leila Lopez is a very Intelligent and attractive young woman. The miss universe crown wasn't simply given to her as a gift for her good looks or charmes, she earned it by undergoing many mental and grueling task. However, in this planet so call earth there live too many negative minded individuals who's main self interest is to dissiminate criticism,hatred,envy,disappointment,irritation,dispair,anger,prejudism,and fear due to there lack of LOVE from within. Rules are written by man and pure laws are set in place by love (creator). in my eyes she is the victor.

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