The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating allegations made by Miguel Zorío, former president of Valencia CF, against the club and SAD Benfica. These allegations concern alleged crimes related to the signing of players Rodrigo Moreno and André Gomes in 2014.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the receipt of a complaint, which has been forwarded for investigation.
Alleged crimes include damaging management practices, corporate corruption, money laundering, and tax fraud against both clubs, as well as against businessman Jorge Mendes and Valencia’s majority shareholder, Peter Lim, among other executives.
The complainant reportedly disclosed the state of the Portuguese legal proceedings after receiving written authorization from the Public Prosecutor’s Office to share details of a meeting held with authorities on July 11 at the headquarters of the Attorney General’s Office.
Two prosecutors from the Central Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DCIAP) and two inspectors specializing in economic crimes attended the meeting.
“They are investigating possible international corruption offenses committed by Peter Lim [owner of Valencia through Meriton Holdings], Jorge Mendes, Layhoon [former president of Valencia], and Valencia’s executives concerning the signings of Benfica players who joined Valencia at exorbitant prices with absolutely illegal commissions”, Zorío stated in remarks to the same newspaper.
During the meeting with judicial officials, Zorío presented documentation, previously submitted, based on Benfica’s financial reports filed with CMVM.
“It categorically demonstrates that a significant portion of the money Valencia CF paid, supposedly for transfers, never reached the Lisbon club”, Zorío argued.
In the same meeting, the former Valencia president also highlighted the ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in May 2021, which not only condemned Meriton for the acquisition of Rodrigo Moreno and André Gomes from Benfica but also revealed (as it had previously gone unnoticed) the monopoly position of the Singaporean’s [Peter Lim] company in the dual operation Benfica/Meriton and Meriton/Valencia/Benfica.
In that judgement, Zorío recalled that the judges determined that “Meriton charged Benfica 5% annually on the value of the signings of Rodrigo Moreno and André Gomes, which collectively cost 45 million euros plus 10 million in variables.”
“Valencia paid 85 million euros for the four players [João Cancelo, Rodrigo Moreno, André Gomes, and Enzo Pérez], plus 10 million in variables for Rodrigo Moreno. The operation served to inject money into Benfica’s fragile coffers and Meriton’s significant accounts, deceiving Valencia“, he accused.
“Peter Lim always held a strong position: he dominated the selling club (SL Benfica), the buying club (Valencia CF), and supposedly charged both clubs. This could constitute an alleged corporate crime of accounting falsification at both Benfica and Valencia, and an alleged crime of international corruption between private entities and crime against both tax administrations,” Zorío considered.
“The strangest thing of all is, for instance, that from the signings of Cancelo, André Gómez, Enzo Pérez, and Rodrigo, which cost Valencia CF 85+10 million euros, almost half went into the hands of the involved agents—expenses termed as transfers by Benfica in the documents submitted to CMVM. Benfica thus avoided economic collapse and received financial aid from Peter Lim and Jorge Mendes at Valencia CF’s expense”, the club’s former president claims.
Zorío further adds that “Jorge Mendes has already had to testify regarding the facts under investigation”.
