A false contract by which César Boaventura assured the rights to use the picture of former Benfica participant Gedson Fernandes was, for the Public Ministry (MP), the opening door to the world of football for the principle accused of Operation Malapata. Fictitious financial institution statements, fake invoices and varied loans that remained to be paid and declared to the tax authorities.
Agent César Boaventura is accused of ten crimes (5 of certified fraud, three of falsification of paperwork, one of certified tax fraud and one other of cash laundering). In the indictment, to which PÚBLICO has had entry, the deputy units out the alleged modus operandi de Boaventura, detailing that the accused introduced false financial institution statements of accounts with tens of millions of euros, so as to achieve the belief of businessmen to acquire loans. With these funds, Boaventura financed a life of luxurious, which contrasted with the situation of insolvency, decreed on October 31, 2014 by the Court of Vila Nova de Famalicão.
“In addition to the notoriety he sought and introduced on social networks, César Boaventura, to present extra credibility to his position as a profitable football entrepreneur, manufactured contracts for the exploitation of picture rights, confessions of money owed and extracts financial institution statements, paperwork that have been used to persuade third events to ship the quantities he requested and that have been channeled for functions apart from these he introduced”, says the deputy.
In addition to the falsified paperwork and symbols of wealth that he confirmed on social networks, Boaventura would take benefit of his alleged closeness with Luís Filipe Vieira, former president of Benfica, for his private profit. Guaranteed that those that loaned him cash might combine gamers into the ranks of the “eagles” and influence transfers, guaranteeing simple profitability.
In the case of Joe Lima, a Portuguese-Canadian businessman within the discipline of civil building, the agent promised to have liquidity to settle the debt, claiming that he had an account the place he saved Vieira’s cash, accuses the deputy. The investigation estimates that the development entrepreneur lent greater than 300,000 euros to the defendant, leaving him with out “the financial savings of his complete life”.
“In 2021, César Boaventura, as a approach of guaranteeing that he would pay what he owed Joe Lima, reported that he had 30 million euros overseas, however that solely 20% belonged to him, for the reason that relaxation it might be from the president of Benfica.
César Boaventura has assured that the previous president of Benfica, conscious of the existence of an investigated legal course of, had requested him to enter 22 million euros into this account, subsequently not with the ability to function the corresponding account”, writes the deputy .
Luís Filipe Vieira was arrested in July 2021, as half of the Operation Red Card, resign as president of Benfica and get replaced by Rui Costa.
In addition to Joe Lima, there are 5 different victims of the grievance towards César Boaventura. The deputy says that the scheme all the time adopted the identical path: Boaventura lured businessmen with false financial institution paperwork, receiving a number of loans from them. Whenever they questioned the agent concerning the cash they owed him, Boaventura discovered a purpose to justify the delay.
1.2 million to declare
César Boaventura would lastly handle to efficiently enter the bowels of football, shifting across the halls of completely different golf equipment and even collaborating in participant transfers. It is suspected that the agent has resorted to issuing false invoices, with the Tax Agency estimating that an revenue of 1.2 million euros was not correctly declared. He continues to be suspected of having resorted to bookmakers on line in an try to launder this undeclared cash.
Ilda Barbosa, José Meia, Ramiro Viana and Paulo Romeu are additionally accused within the course of, accused of serving to César Boaventura within the alleged tax evasion plot. The deputy assures that the funds supposed for the agent have been transferred to the accounts of the supposed collaborators, in an try to masks the origin of the cash.
César Boaventura was arrested on December 15, 2015, within the scope of the Operation Malapata, which led to searches at Estádio da Luz and Alvalade. The officer was positioned below home arrest with an digital bracelet, a coercive measure that is still unchanged.
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