Former business grandee Ricardo Salgado had his house searched today in connection with what now is a criminal case surrounding the Espiríto Santo Group of companies.
Salgado was not alone in having a search made for evidence as, according to the police, 34 house searches were carried out today as well as a raid on a lawyer’s office and on six premises of six 'companies in the financial sector.'
The Attorney General's Office announced that the searches took place as part of a criminal case into possible wrongdoing at Espiríto Santo group companies including suspicion of aggravated fraud, breach of trust, forgery, money laundering and tax fraud.
According to Francisco Proença de Carvalho, Ricardo Salgado’s lawyer, the searches at Salgados’ Cascais home ended around 17.30pm but gave no further details, asking that his client’s privacy be respected and that at this stage, journalists as ever, knew more than lawyers.
The searches drew on manpower from the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP) and the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP), including two DIAP experts and 200 members of the National Unit Combating Corruption (UNCC) of the Judicial Police. Finally, there were investigators from the Tax Authority who assisted in the search for evidence.
The prosecution has had support from the Bank of Portugal and the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) and the operation today included searches at the headquarters of Novo Banco in Lisbon, formerly the BES head office.
All this activity has resulted from a formal complaint lodged in September by the Bank of Portugal governor which listed what he saw as criminal activities at Espiríto Santo companies.
The prosecutors have created a special team to investigate the alleged irregularities and malpractices in the management of BES and have drawn on the forensic skills of DCIAP, the Tax Authority, the Judicial Police, the Portuguese Securities Market Commission Committee and the central bank itself.
Salgado will have shredded or deleted any incriminating evidence of his fraudulent activities, should there be any, but computer records are hard to delete completely.
The absence of records from key periods under investigation may direct prosecutors along the correct trail.
