Assets seized eight years ago in Operation Rota do Atlântico
Political parties in opposition showed varying degrees of horror yesterday over details of the AD government’s plan to ‘seize assets of corruption’ even before court convictions, but this is exactly what is happening in the case of ‘Operation Rota do Atlàntico’, which ‘broke’ eight years ago, and involves businessmen José Veiga and Paulo Santana Lopes (brother of former prime minister Pedro Santana Lopes).
Tabloid Correio da Manhã reports that “a luxury mansion, a Bentley and a powerful Porsche apprehended by PJ police eight years ago in Operation Rota do Atlântico are being sold at auction by the Institute for Financial Management and Justice Equipment.
“The case saw businessmen José Veiga and Paulo Santana Lopes arrested in 2016 for suspicions of corruption, criminal association, tax fraud and money laundering”.
The criminal process has a total of 21 ‘official suspects’ (arguidos) and “continues in investigation by the PJ’s National Unit for the Combat of Corruption”, says the paper.
But the auction of assets is nonetheless moving forwards.
According to Público, the online sale is being organised by the Office of Asset Management.
The mansion (a seven bedroom property in Quinta da Marinha in Cascais, writes CM) has a swimming pool, gym, cinema, games room and has been valued at €9.7 million. It is (was?) the property of Gilbert Ondongo, the Congolese minister of finance.
The Bentley Continental GTC V8 (valued at around €188,000) is (was?) the property of Paulo Santana Lopes, while the Porsche Cayenne S 4.2 V8 (valued at around €93,000) belonged to José Veiga.
CM’s story does not explain how these assets are managing to be sold before the case has even come to trial, but according to an online report citing Público the “alleged owners were notified to exercise their right to request their surrender against the deposit of the appraised value, since Rota do Atlântico is still under investigation, but as they failed to do so, the assets will be auctioned off, with the amount raised at the auction remaining in the custody of the Office of Asset Management until the case is finalised”.
The Rota do Atlântico investigation is at best ‘complicated’. It is said to centre on backhanders over oil and construction deals with the Republic of the Congo.
According to the PJ, José Veiga was the representative in the Congo of Brazilian company Asperbras, that allegedly corrupted Congolese politicians, by offering them ostriches, ponies, cows, a Lusitanian horse, furniture and foreign travel.
At issue are crimes of corruption in international business, fiscal fraud, money laundering and influence trafficking.
During the early days of the investigation, a PJ inspector was arrested for helping himself to a large amount of cash discovered in safes in the basement of the mansion now due to go under the hammer.
natasha.donn@portugalresident.com
