The Criminal Investigation Court in Porto has announced the suspension of four employees from the Inspection and Control Division of CRVV. These individuals, who were detained, received information about the prohibitive measures against contact with each other and other defendants involved in the case.
The preventive measures include bail for the four businessmen detained within the same operation, with one also required to report periodically to authorities, according to a judicial source.
On Wednesday, the Judicial Police (PJ) in Porto conducted 21 searches, both residential and non-residential, including at the headquarters of CVRVV in Porto. The investigation pertains to “an alleged collusion scheme between commission officials and wine sector businessmen, aimed at favoring the latter by neglecting the responsibilities of monitoring the origin and transit of grapes, and their storage in wineries during the 2025 harvest.”
Four employees from the Inspection and Control Division of CVRVV and four businessmen in the green wine production and distribution sector were detained. Additionally, “17 individuals and entities have been charged, and assets in-kind and cash have been seized.”
The investigation originated from an anonymous tip and aimed to “benefit certain economic operators through bribes, both in goods and money.” It sought to uncover and gather evidence on the alleged scheme, confirm if certification rules were violated, and address any hindrance to enhanced monitoring efforts. The detected practices proved to be complex and challenging to uncover despite the efforts of the Commission’s Directorate and special inspection operations conducted by the GNR and ASAE.
