The Public Prosecutor holding one of the inquiries which is shaking up Portuguese football the most, and in particular the team of Benfica, has in the last few hours formulated serious charges against several defendants, including the company itself and its former president Luis Filipe Vieira.
Note with the name of “Blue bag” (i.e. “blue bag”, as the Portuguese slangly call hidden funds), the investigation had targeted a system of money laundering and illicit financing. According to the prosecution, the Benfica allegedly paid fake IT consultancy services to a company of the entrepreneur Jose Bernardes.
Benfica in the storm: accusations of fraud and money laundering
The company, which had no real offices and its registered office in the owner's home, was in fact non-operational and the money was withdrawn in cash and returned to Benfica in exchange for a percentage of 11%.
Although the investigation reconstructs this money flow in quite a detailed manner, it stops where it should shed light on the use that Benfica would have made of this hidden fund.
In the meantime, suspicions about the former referee have fallen away Bruno Paixao, previously involved in the investigation and already an employee of the company Jose Bernardes. Consequently, the hypothesis of active corruption of sports justice falls.
The details of the investigation
In total we are talking about a sum equal to approximately 2 million and 200 thousand euros and among the charges there is also that of tax fraud to the detriment of the State for a total of 480 thousand euros, Between fake VAT invoices e tax deductions on corporate income.
The investigation was triggered in 2017 by a complaint from the investment bank Eurobic, who refused to grant a withdrawal of 250 thousand euros a Bernardes and reported the suspicious bank movements to the authorities.
Among the suspects are some collaborators di Bernardes, including Jose Raposo, owner of another company, this one with headquarters in Senegal, who allegedly issued the false invoices, and two other managers of the Benfica, including the former CFO, Miguel Moreira, and Domingos Soares de Oliveira.
“We are aware that our size means that everything that involves us has a media impact”, said the current president, the former AC Milan player Rui Costa, in his speech during the ceremony. “Therefore the imperative is to remain united and focused, immune from any external noise.”
EDITORIAL TEAM
Choose the social channel you want to subscribe to