Justice Minister maintains confidence in Carlos Cabreiro after complaint to PGR over Football Leaks
The PGR confirmed receiving a complaint against the PJ director over alleged false testimony concerning wiretaps in the Football Leaks case.
Complaint against PJ director referred to Lisbon DIAP
The Office of the Attorney General confirmed on Thursday that it had received a complaint against the director of the Judicial Police, Carlos Cabreiro, relating to wiretaps conducted as part of the Football Leaks investigation. The PGR informed news agency Lusa that the complaint "was referred to the DIAP [Department of Investigation and Criminal Action] in Lisbon".
According to Correio da Manhã, the complaint, brought by television channel NOW and newspaper Expresso, alleges that wiretaps were carried out without judicial authorisation — and that Cabreiro allegedly stated in court during trial in the case that no wiretaps were conducted in the field.
Minister reiterates support for national director
When asked by Lusa whether the situation compromised the Government's confidence in Cabreiro, the office of Justice Minister Rita Alarcão Júdice responded that "the Justice Minister has no comments to make, merely reiterating that she maintains confidence in the National Director of the Judicial Police".
The minister did not comment on whether Cabreiro would remain in his position.
2015 recordings at centre of complaint
According to the complaint sent to the PGR, the matter concerns recordings made by the PJ in 2015 and authorised by Carlos Cabreiro. The wiretaps allegedly took place on the day that Aníbal Pinto — defendant and convicted party in the Football Leaks case who at that time represented Rui Pinto — met with Nélio Lucas, owner of Doyen, and lawyer Pedro Henriques at a service area in Oeiras.
This meeting is pointed to as one of the decisive moments in the case, as it allegedly enabled the PJ to reach the identification of Rui Pinto.
Rui Pinto convicted in September 2023
The Football Leaks case was tried in 2023 and involved cases of unauthorised access and breach of correspondence of various entities: Sporting, Doyen, law firm PLMJ, the Portuguese Football Federation and the PGR itself.
Rui Pinto was sentenced to four years imprisonment, suspended, in September 2023, for one count of attempted extortion, three counts of aggravated breach of correspondence and five counts of unauthorised access. Aníbal Pinto was also convicted in the same case.
Source: Correio da Manhã