
An individual who worked at the ISS from 2001 to 2019 began her trial today at the Bolhão Court in Porto, facing charges of tax fraud involving the alleged embezzlement of 27,775 euros between 2016 and 2018.
During the hearing, the defendant admitted to altering the status of two unemployment benefit claims from “pending” to “approved” so that payments could be made to two claimants. She later reverted the status to “pending” before the next payment, repeating this procedure monthly.
“I did it without receiving anything in return,” she stated.
The former official claimed she believed they were legitimate subsidy requests for workers returning from Denmark, “when no international protocol existed.”
Upon realizing the mistake, she feared repercussions if she reversed the situation.
Initially, she acted out of pity, given the economic difficulties presented to her. However, it was “out of fear and pressure” from one claimant, the son of her former domestic worker, that she continued the practice.
“I was very afraid of him; he would go to the Social Security office and call me. I was already scared when I left, wondering if he was there,” she confessed.
The defendant also admitted that money from one beneficiary was transferred to her bank account, but insisted she delivered the funds to the rightful recipient.
Of the total amount involved, approximately 11,000 euros were deposited into the account of one claimant’s partner, except for an August installment, which went into the defendant’s account.
Regarding the other beneficiary, the payments were initially received by mail-check and later transferred to the defendant’s accounts.
“I got a dismissal, not money,” she told the judge, attributing her actions to her mental fragility and depression at the time, following a high-risk pregnancy and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity.
The defendant, who faced a disciplinary hearing and was subsequently dismissed, admitted to agreeing to repay the amount in installments out of “shame” for her actions. However, she failed to adhere to the agreement, paying only between 1,250 and 1,500 euros.
The disciplinary hearing officer, a jurist from the Institute for Employment and Professional Training (IEFP), testified that the defendant “claimed to transfer the money to her account to later deliver it to the beneficiary,” consistently denying any personal gain.
In court, the witness observed that, at the time of questioning, the defendant did not seem “emotionally stable” nor aware of the consequences of her actions.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the technician in December 2024, demanding the repayment of the diverted funds to the state.
The Porto District Attorney’s Office noted at the time that the defendant “appropriated a total” of 27,775 euros “by altering the payment data associated with those beneficiaries.”
The trial will continue on November 14 at 09:30 a.m.