The president of the Commission of Viticulture of the Vinho Verde Region, Dora Simões, expressed today the commission’s “absolute and interested” cooperation with authorities following searches by the Judiciary Police (PJ) that resulted in the detention of four employees.
“Absolute and interested cooperation. We want matters to be investigated in the best possible way and as quickly as possible,” Dora Simões stated to Lusa after the PJ’s Puro Verde operation led to the arrest of four entrepreneurs and four employees of the Commission of Viticulture of the Vinho Verde Region (CVRVV), suspected of active and passive corruption, document forgery, and abuse of power in the sector.
A total of 21 searches were conducted, both domiciliary and non-domiciliary, including at the CVRVV headquarters in Porto, concerning “an alleged scheme of collusion between commission employees and wine industry entrepreneurs, aiming to favor them by omitting the duties of supervision regarding the origin and transit of grapes and their deposit in wineries and producers during the 2025 harvest.”
The detainees include four members of the CVRVV’s Monitoring and Control Division and four entrepreneurs in the green wine production and distribution sector, according to the PJ. Additionally, “17 individuals and entities were declared suspects, and assets and cash were seized.”
“This morning, when we arrived at the Commission, we found the Judiciary Police at the door conducting searches, and some employees working at the commission were detained for questioning,” described Dora Simões to Lusa, stating she was “completely” taken by surprise by the investigation.
Assuring no “specific knowledge” of the matter, Dora Simões emphasized that the authorities will have “access to all necessary information to proceed with the process.”
“We are also stakeholders interested in understanding what exists, if anything,” she affirmed, mentioning a lack of information regarding the geographical origin of the involved companies.
Acknowledging this is a “challenging, difficult time in the wine sector,” and recognizing that “it is natural for a suspicion situation to arise,” she mentioned it is CVRVV’s duty “to cooperate and provide the best service so that, in the best interest of the commission and the Vinho Verde Region, this investigation can proceed.”
When questioned about possible disciplinary action against detained employees, Dora Simões dismissed that possibility for the moment due to lacking “knowledge of the case details.”
“We know it relates to monitoring, but beyond that, we don’t know. Therefore, we are granting access to everything requested to allow the necessary investigations,” she concluded.
In a statement issued to the press, the CVRVV stated it is also “collaborating with the Public Prosecutor’s Office” and is “committed to identifying responsibilities and clarifying any issues arising from the investigation.”
It further noted the intent to ensure “traceability and certification of Vinho Verde are as rigorous as possible, complying with established goals,” regretting that “this type of complaint primarily harms the serious work of over 12,000 winegrowers and more than 400 bottlers, significantly impacting the Vinho Verde brand image and the serious work conducted by the Region.”
The PJ pointed out the viticulture commission “has roles in controlling the production and trade and certifying wine products eligible for DO (Denomination of Origin) and IG (Geographical Indication), as well as related businesses.”
Thus, it noted that “the certification process quality for DO wine, which attests its origin, the grape varieties used, vine-cultivating, vinification, and aging processes distinguishing wines of a particular DO from others, is at risk.”
The investigation originated from an anonymous tip, alleging the suspects aimed to “favor certain economic players through the offer and acceptance of advantages, in both goods and money,” and sought “to detect and gather evidence about the alleged scheme, confirm if certification rules were violated, and prevent monitoring enhancement, with detected practices proving complex and very difficult to detect despite the Commission’s leadership efforts and special operations conducted by GNR and ASAE.”
The detainees will appear before the competent judicial authority at the Criminal Investigation Court of Porto for the first judicial interrogation and application of precautionary measures, the PJ further informed.
