The searches are connected to the 2018 sale of the former headquarters of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) on Alexandre Herculano Street in Lisbon for over 11 million euros, as stated by the Judicial Police (PJ) in a communiqué.
The investigation involves suspicions of crimes such as improper receipt of advantage, corruption, economic participation in business, and tax fraud, as confirmed by the police.
In a statement, the PJ mentioned that during the investigation, “a number of situations were identified that could constitute illegal activities, particularly concerning the brokerage of the sale” of the building in question.
Today, 20 search warrants were executed at homes, a financial institution, and law firms located in the Lisbon, Setúbal, and Santarém districts.
This investigation, which began in 2021, is being conducted by the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP) in Lisbon and will continue “with the analysis of the evidence now gathered, along with the necessary examinations and expert analyses.”
According to a dispatch accessed by news agency Lusa, the Public Prosecutor’s Office authorized the seizure of relevant information stored in computers, mobile phones, and other electronic devices.
The operations were carried out by 65 inspectors and 15 scientific police specialists from the PJ, with the involvement of five criminal instruction judges, six public prosecution magistrates, and four representatives from the Bar Association.
The headquarters of the Portuguese Football Federation was sold in 2018 when Fernando Gomes was the president of the FPF. He left the role in February this year, succeeded by Pedro Proença, and today assumes the position of President of the Portuguese Olympic Committee (COP).
[Updated at 17:57]
