Public Prosecutor's office conducts searches at Criminal Police in Football Leaks case against director Carlos Cabreiro
The Public Prosecutor's office conducted searches at the Criminal Police facilities, including the office of national director Carlos Cabreiro, as part of an investigation into abuse of power and perjury.
Public Prosecutor searches target Criminal Police headquarters and technology unit in Football Leaks case
The Public Prosecutor's office (MP) conducted searches on Wednesday at facilities of the Criminal Police (PJ), including the office of national director Carlos Cabreiro and the premises of the Prevention and Technology Support Unit (UPAT) in Loures. According to observador.pt, which independently confirmed the proceedings, the prosecutors also examined the national directorate floor of the PJ and inspected Cabreiro's work computer, with one of his email accounts being preventively seized.
The work station of David Freitas, a PJ coordinator who filed the complaint against Cabreiro, was also subjected to searches, and his mobile telephone was seized. Several UPAT members had their computers searched and their respective email accounts seized.
The Office of the Attorney General (PGR), however, denied that the national director's mobile telephone had been seized. "The mobile telephone of the National Director of the Criminal Police was not seized," reads the PGR's official response to observador.pt. The same statement stressed, for the second time, that the case "has no constituted defendants".
Investigation into abuse of power and perjury
The PGR formally confirmed the proceedings in a statement: "Within the scope of an investigation being conducted by the Regional Department of Public Prosecution in Lisbon, searches are being carried out on Wednesday at Criminal Police facilities. In the investigation, which has already been publicly noted, the possible commission of crimes of abuse of power and aggravated perjury is being investigated." The case is under judicial secrecy.
According to the PGR statement, the proceedings were attended by prosecutors, inspectors from the Tax Authority (AT) and forensic IT experts. The AT thus took on the role of criminal police body supporting the magistrates, in an operation aimed at "the collection of evidence elements".
The PJ also issued its own statement, confirming the searches and guaranteeing full cooperation. "The PJ confirms that procedural measures were carried out on Wednesday at its facilities, as part of an investigation directed by the Public Prosecutor's office. The PJ cooperated with the judicial authorities, providing all necessary support for the proper conduct of the proceedings," stated an official source of the institution, without providing further details due to the ongoing investigation.
The complaint and alleged illegal wiretaps in Football Leaks
At the origin of this investigation is the alleged carrying out of illegal wiretaps in the Football Leaks case, which culminated in the conviction of hacker Rui Pinto and lawyer Aníbal Pinto. Carlos Cabreiro, who was responsible for the investigation at the time and is now national director of the PJ, denied in court, under oath, that a recording existed of a meeting that took place on 21 October 2015, at a rest area on the A5 motorway in Oeiras, between Aníbal Pinto and individuals linked to the Doyen company — CEO Nélio Lucas and employee Pedro Henriques.
The situation took on new dimensions when David Freitas, a PJ coordinator married to inspector Aida Freitas — who was present at that operation and was subsequently issued with a certificate for trial on charges of false statements — made public documents that raise doubts about Cabreiro's testimony. The issue concerns a mission order and a report of proceedings that point to the existence of recordings of that meeting as part of the investigation into the Portuguese hacker.
Based on that documentation, a complaint was filed against director Carlos Cabreiro for the alleged crimes of false statements and abuse of power.
Montenegro awaits "swift" clarification
The carrying out of searches at the facilities of the country's main criminal investigation police force generated political reactions. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro stated that he hoped the situation giving rise to the proceedings could be "swiftly clarified", according to dn.pt.
The case raises questions about the chain of command and internal procedures of the PJ in a process which, since its origins linked to Football Leaks, has involved central figures in Portuguese criminal investigation.
Source: Google News PT