Former socialist MEP Ana Gomes has been named a defendant following a criminal complaint by Solverde, concerning her statements on the casino gaming control and regulation system.
Gomes revealed this information, stating that she was notified on Thursday by the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
On a radio program, Gomes said that the latest update on the Spinumviva case, where she filed a complaint against the company associated with the Prime Minister’s family, was that she had been “named a defendant in a process initiated by Solverde” for defamation of a corporate entity.
In March, Solverde – Sociedade de Investimentos Turísticos da Costa Verde S. A. deemed Gomes’s remarks on casino gaming control and regulation as being of “extreme severity, damaging its good name and reputation.”
The criminal complaint, the company adds, aims for “the determination of responsibility and corresponding sanctions.”
According to Gomes, her comments merely highlighted “the malfunctioning of the anti-money laundering system, particularly in the casinos and online gaming sectors, demanding special attention to the Solverde case.”
These comments followed reports that Solverde made payments to Spinumviva.
As a result, Gomes, a political commentator, filed a report to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, with notice to Portuguese authorities, regarding the payment and alleged regulatory issues within casinos.
The Solverde board filed a “criminal complaint” against Ana Gomes, citing her comments as harmful to the company’s reputation.
Lusa | 17:42 – 14/03/2025
Speaking to Observador about the Spinumviva case, Gomes asserted that the Attorney General should have immediately launched an inquiry: “It was the procedurally correct move and would have assured all parties involved, even those potentially named as defendants.”
She argued: “This action would best serve the interests of Justice, as well as the government and Luís Montenegro,” suggesting that the Attorney General has been avoiding launching an inquiry “with all efforts.”
