Álvaro Sobrinho, former chairman of BES Angola, was fined 204 euros for failing to appear at the start of the trial concerning the BES Angola case in Portugal. Sobrinho had requested to attend via videoconference, citing the lack of a valid visa to be present in the country. However, the judges declared his absence “unjustified” and denied his request.
The presiding judge stated, “Being in possession of a visa, albeit of shorter duration, does not imply any impediment [to attending the trial].” Consequently, the magistrate imposed a fine equivalent to two account units, totaling 204 euros, based on the value set for 2025.
Among the five defendants, former banker Ricardo Salgado, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and Portuguese-Angolan businessman Helder Battaglia, residing in Angola, were also absent with court permission.
The court session witnessed the presence of the remaining two accused: Amílcar Morais Pires, known as the former right-hand man of Ricardo Salgado, and former Banco Espírito Santo (BES) director Rui Silveira.
More than a decade after the collapse of Banco Espírito Santo (BES), Ricardo Salgado and Álvaro Sobrinho are being tried in Lisbon for charges of breach of trust, fraud, and money laundering.
The trial commenced at 09:30 at the Lisbon Central Criminal Court. This case involves allegations of fund misappropriation between 2007 and 2012. These funds were intended for financing BES to BES Angola, specifically through Interbank Money Market credit lines and bank overdrafts.
The total illicit advantages allegedly obtained by the defendants are estimated to be around five billion euros and over 210 million dollars.
[Updated at 10:18]
