Three held in pre-trial detention in “particularly complex” case
Eighteen people are accused of issuing fraudulent prescriptions and death certificates. The group are also alleged to have unlawfully accessed and exploited “Social Security computer services”.
SIC Notícias broke this news today pointing to a case that it says Lisbon Public Prosecutor’s Office (PGRL) describes as “particularly complex”.
Three of those detained have been remanded to ‘pre-trial detention’.
Dozens of offences appear to be involved, spanning a period of three years.
“In the years 2022, 2023 and 2024, the defendants accessed platforms for the exclusive use of qualified professionals, namely platforms in use in the SNS national health system, fraudulently issuing medical prescriptions, death certificates and other documents,” the PGRL said in a statement.
The defendants also illicitly accessed and exploited “Social Security computer services”, and are alleged to have circulated mass e-mails designed “to mislead third parties as to the existence of alleged debts to credible entities – including EDP, EDP Comercial, Endesa, CTT – and obtain payment of monetary sums from these third parties, through entities and references under their control”.
The 18 are also suspected of having created a website “for the anonymous and persistent sharing of third parties’ personal data”.
The indictment was handed downby the Lisbon Criminal Investigation and Action Department (DIAP) last week and concerns the alleged commission of ‘dozens of crimes of aggravated illegitimate access and computer falsehood’.
According to the PGRL, the defendants are also accused of document forgery, qualified fraud, money laundering, computer fraud, possession of a prohibited weapon, abuse of a guarantee card or payment card, device or data, stalking, disturbance of private life, abuse and simulation of danger signals, invasion of private life, extortion, threats and public instigation of a crime.
What is not clear so far is whether the defendants are part of a ‘mafia’ (along the lines to criminal organisations already identified in this country). More news in this regard will very possibly follow.
Source material: SIC Notícias citing Lusa
