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The Judicial Police, through the Board of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, concluded and sent to the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action of Oeiras, an investigation involving twelve defendants, six women and six men, three of whom were arrested because they were mentors and the main perpetrators of a criminal scheme which, at least since 2006, has defrauded around 13 insurance companies totalling more than two million euros.

The defendants contracted insurance policies, essentially life insurance and personal accident insurance, using, in some cases, false identities.

To give an appearance of normality, they initially paid the premiums contracted, subsequently participating in non-existent claims, resulting in supposed degrees of high disability or death of the policyholders, situations that justified with the delivery of false documentation, including clinic, receiving the damages which they declared, as a rule, of very high amounts.

In one case, the incapacities invoked were, after receiving compensation from insurance companies, used to obtain invalidity and tax benefits.

The main parties involved also used the criminal scheme to liquidate housing loans in advance, with associated life insurance, which they and other defendants had.

They falsely invoked their deaths in claims , and required insurance companies to repay mortgage loans to lending credit institutions, thereby full ownership, free of burdens and burdens, by extinguishing the mortgages of real estate they inhabited.

In the searches carried out and in the patrimonial and financial investigation carried out with the defendants, it was possible to seize pecuniary amounts amounting to approximately forty-five thousand five hundred euros, as well as to seize five urban buildings with a global patrimonial value of approximately five hundred and sixty thousand euros and two vehicles, of high capacity, valued at approximately fifty-two thousand euros.

Of the three main stakeholders, one is obliged to remain in the home with electronic surveillance and the other two, with the obligation of periodic submission to the authorities.

The Public Prosecutor accused journalists and SIC’s information director for the crime of disobedience for Operation Marquis’s “illicit reproduction of procedural documents” in April.

A note from the District Attorney General of Lisbon (PGDL) states, without specifying who in the SIC, that the defendants, journalists, including the director of information, coordinator of a program, responsible for reporting and publishing, “decided to broadcast on television, a report (…), the content of which consisted, in large part, in the illicit reproduction of procedural parts of the so-called “Operation Marquis” process.

The PGDL reinforces that the disclosure of such procedural documents was made “without the authorization of the magistrates presiding over this case,” which involves former Prime Minister José Sócrates.

The Public Prosecutor understands that the defendants have disclosed the aforementioned pieces despite being “aware that the law prohibits the disclosure / reproduction of the registration of images or sound recordings related to procedures, unless authorized by the competent judicial authority and unopposed.”.

The investigation was conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Action Department of Lisbon.

 

 

The Judiciary Police announced the arrest of seven people for the alleged scams and forgery of documents in several locations in the north of the country.

In a statement, the PJ said that in the development of “several ongoing investigations” it was possible to collect “strong evidence” that the suspects used different “modus operandi” to commit the crimes.

In this way, he added, they seized tens of thousands of euros , so far have been calculated values ​​over 75 thousand euros.

“In some situations, they would use false proxies to execute deeds of purchase and sale of other properties, appropriating the respective value of the sale, and in other cases, they believed that buyers who land with trees for sale were theirs, with the product of several sales, “said the PJ.

The PJ also explained that the defendants also made themselves known as managing partners of existing companies in the market, usurping their identities and celebrating, as such, lease agreements with financial entities, which ensured full payment to supplier companies, activating the contracts of lease after delivery of the goods.

The detainees, aged between 40 and 58, will be present at the first judicial interrogation.

It is the  largest ever operation in Portugal in the fight against illegal gambling.

Gambling network transacted 80 million euros in one year.

Through online platforms and games of chance – which was dubbed as Shadow Game -The illegal online gambling and gambling operation carried out by the GNR in the last two days ended with the arrest of 20 people, one of whom to reside in Luxembourg.

The searches across the country also allowed seizures of dozens of luxury cars, computers and game machines used in a scheme that extended to Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Brazil and Mozambique. In fact, it was in Luxembourg territory that the computer servers that supported the entire network of illegal gambling and gambling were based.

According to a communiqué issued by the District Attorney of Setúbal, the operation called “Shadowgame” was carried out by members of the Criminal Investigation Nuclei of Santiago do Cacém and Setúbal of the GNR and of the Fiscal Action Unit of Évora of GNR, which had the support of more than a hundred soldiers from other regions and “searched and detained throughout the national territory as well as in Luxembourg.”

The District Attorney’s Office of Setúbal also informs that the “illicit exploitation is carried out by a group of about 100 individuals who, at least since 2015, carry out the criminal activity in Portugal, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Brazil and Mozambique. ”

The operation was coordinated by Europol and Eurojust and also enabled Internet servers to be taken down in Luxembourg.

The Judicial Police, through the Northern Board of Directors, under an investigation by the Public Prosecutor’s Office – DIAP of Vila do Conde, have carried out an operation to enforce arrest warrants and search domiciliary and non-domicile for the alleged crimes of criminal association , money laundering, qualified tax fraud and the sale, selling or concealment of counterfeit goods or articles.

In the course of about 40 searches carried out in the municipalities of Vila do Conde, Póvoa de Varzim, Oporto, Vila Nova de Gaia and Sintra, six individuals were arrested for these crimes and two others for crimes of falsification of documents, illegal emigration and drug trafficking.

According to the investigation, developed by the Judicial Police in conjunction with the Tax Authority, the amount laundered by this criminal association, in the period between January 2016 and March 2018, was in the region of 40 million euros.

18 car vehicles were seized, the vast majority of which were high-end, around € 350,000.00 in bank notes, computer equipment and mobile phones, a significant quantity of counterfeit goods or items without proper tax support documents in the presumed value of three million euros, dozens of internationally presumed false identification documents, passports and driving licenses, as well as a variety of accounting and tax documents.

The police operation involved 300 members, including the participation of investigators from the Judicial Police of the Board of Directors of the Centre and the units of Braga, Aveiro and Vila Real and the collaboration of the Port Authority of the Tax Authority, the Territorial Detachment of Matosinhos da Guarda National Republican, the Northern Regional Unit of the Food and Economic Security Authority and the Northern Regional Directorate of the Aliens and Borders Service.

The detainees, aged between 34 and 57, all businessmen of foreign nationality, will be presented to the competent judicial authorities for questioning and application of remand measures considered appropriate.

The Council of Ministers at a meeting held in Tapada de Mafra, is intended to review the decisions concerning rural fires taken by government on 21^st October 2017, one year after its execution, said Prime Minister António Costa at the introduction to the presentation given of the situation of the rural fires of 2018.

The situation was presented by the heads of the Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere, the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forests, the National Civil Protection Authority and the president of the Mission Structure for the Installation of Integrated Management System of Rural Fire, Tiago Oliveira.

The Prime Minister gave a word of recognition for the work carried out throughout this year by all those who contributed positively to the results achieved in the fight against rural fires.

The president of the Mission Structure for the Installation of Integrated Fire Management System, Tiago Oliveira, recalled that there were profound structural difficulties in the way Portugal addressed the rural fires, and in the course of 2018 there was an improvement, namely the knowledge of these fires, and, above all, a change of direction.

This new course began to take shape in a new model of fire management through the integrated management system involving all stakeholders.

The change has gone through four main axes that have involved changing attitudes and behaviours, training and qualification of the various actors, structural initiatives of prevention and combat, and increased resilience of the territory.

In 2018, the strategy focused primarily on protecting populations, reducing fire outbreaks, managing fuel in hazardous areas, strengthening and pre-positioning means in risk areas and improving decision-making and enhancing qualification.

This strategy involved 72 initiatives with 11 areas of government, the participation of international experts in planning processes, the drawing up of a map of priorities for intervention around the council buildings and a probability map, and the launching of the Agency for the Integrated Management of Rural Fire.

Tiago Oliveira stressed the need for the Portuguese rural landscape to be changed – which is through the reform of the forest approved by the Government – saying that processes of this nature are long and still only one year has passed.

Meteorology

In meteorological terms, a very relevant meteorological severity situation has been observed since the beginning of August, extending over the following months, reaching the highest temperature levels ​​continuously.

There were also very rapid and unpredictable changes in weather conditions and to meet the new needs the IPMA will invest in the network of meteorological radars, in the network of electric discharges, and in the information to the public.

Reduction of combustible materials

The INCF pointed out that the causes of the fires are, in 53%, burning scrubs and dersbris, in 21%, actions of individuals, and in 11%, re-ignitions.

In 2018, compared to the previous 10 years, there were 43% fewer fires (the second year with the lowest number), and 69% fewer fires (the third year with the lowest number).

At the origin of this improvement are the actions of the Plan of Reduction of Ignitions and the campaigns that produced a change of attitude, as well as the increase of the personnel of about 2000 to more than 2700, and the increase of vehicles from 342 to 447.

The National Planco of Fuel Management, also under the responsibility of the ICNF, executed vegetation cuts in 2,500 hectares (1600 ha were foreseen), fuel interruption lanes in more than 1500 km, forest roads in 879 km.

Civil protection

In the area of ​​civil protection, the main objectives defined by the Government were the preservation of human life and national wealth.

This was achieved by a set of measures focused on increased prevention, a robust and rapid initial attack, and the withdrawal of populations from areas at risk.

In 2018, the country had only one big fire (more than 1000 ha), that of Monchique.

The human resources of the system increased by 11% between 2017 and 2018, land means by 12%, and air means by 17%.

Three officials of the public entity and two businessmen were arrested by the Judiciary Police on suspicion of corruption, economic participation in business and influence peddling

The president of the Tourism of the North, Melchior Moreira, two other leaders of the same entity and two businessmen were today arrested by the Northern Direction of the Judiciary Police, for suspicions of corruption, influence peddling and economic participation in business.

Melchior Moreira has been the Regional Tourism Authority of Porto and Northern Portugal since 2008, was re-elected last June and has already been a member of the Assembly of the Republic, elected by the PSD. Natural of Lamego, Moreira, 54 years old, already was also councilman in the Camera of Lamego.

According to PJ, Operation Ether investigates “the presumed repeated and continued practice of the vitiation of public procurement procedures, whose values ​​amount to several million euros”.

“The investigation, centred on the activity of a public legal person, determined the existence of a generalized scheme,  fraudulent vitiation of tender procedures and direct adjustment with the aim of favouring groups of companies, hiring human resources and the use of public resources to meet particular interests, “said the statement from the PJ.

Eleven household and household searches were carried out in the regions of Porto, Gaia, Matosinhos, Lamego, Viseu and Viana do Castelo, and 50 elements of the Judicial Police were involved, including inspectors, computer experts and financial and accounting experts.

This process had already begun months ago, with a series of searches to be carried out last June. At the time, besides the facilities of Turismo do Porto and Norte, the headquarters of Sporting de Braga and Vitória de Guimarães, as well as the Câmara de Viseu, were searched.

The president of the tourism promotion body is suspected of having vacationed in the Algarve with the expenses to be paid by his alleged corruptors.

The detainees, aged between 42 and 54, three officials of public entity and two businessmen, will be present tomorrow the judicial interrogation.

Câmara de Lisboa authorized the sending of SMS with warnings about the storm Leslie, without authorization of the Data Protection for such. Civil protection is only allowed to send messages in case of maximum fire risk, but the guardianship now admits to extend warnings to other disasters.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) will consider broadening the sending of messages to other situations of catastrophe, in addition to the fires. Currently, the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC) is only authorized by the National Commission for Data Protection (CNPD) to alert people by SMS in the event of a forest fire threat.

Asked by PÚBLICO, MAI affirms that with the end of the critical period of fires, which the Government had extended to this Monday , October 15, “the balance of the various measures of prevention and firefighting introduced this year” will be examined.  At that time, it will be studied “the possibility of extending the dissemination of warning messages to the populations to other situations of civil protection”.

This weekend, with the worsening weather conditions caused by the storm  Leslie, which caused massive damage in the centre of the country, the city’s council, through the Municipal Parking Company of Lisbon (EMEL), decided to  send an SMS to citizens  with recommendations, on behalf of the municipal Civil Protection – which lacked authorisation from the CNPD.

 

REINFORCEMENT OF RESOURCES TO COMBAT FIRES TO REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL 31^st OCTOBER

According to the ICNF at 1700 hrs today there are NO plans (AT PRESENT) to defer the critical fire period beyond 15^th October.

CRITICAL FIRE PERIOD

WEF from 16^TH October therefore the following is PROHIBITED in the municipalities concerned where the fire risk is “Very High” or “Extreme”

• The burning of piled-up waste is not permitted
• The use of stoves, BBQs and grills is prohibited in all rural spaces, except where used outside of the critical areas and in places duly authorised for the purpose.
• Smoking and all types of naked flames are prohibited in woodland and forests.
• Balloons with a lit fuse and rockets are prohibited. Fireworks are only permitted subject to authorisation from the Municipal Council.
• Fumigating and pest control in apiaries are prohibited except where the fumigators are fitted with spark retention devices.

Additionally when the fire risk is “High”, Very High” or extreme” it is prohibited to carryout burning for grassland renewal, cleaning stubble or debris that is uncut or cut on the ground, but NOT in piles, is not permitted

Before lighting a fire check the Fire Risk in your area and contact the local Bombeiros for instructions and guidance.

REINFORCEMENTS TO REMAIN IN PLACE

Given the meteorological forecasts for the second half of October made available by the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) to the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC), the Ministry of Internal Administration decided to reinforce, by the end of October, Special to Combat Rural Fire.

Thus, until October 31, the ground device will be reinforced with a further 624 firefighters. About 500 GIPS soldiers from GNR will be involved in surveillance and surveillance actions.

For air assets, 10 light helicopters will be available on lease, 3 light helicopters owned by the State, 6 medium amphibious aircraft and 3 heavy helicopters.

It was also decided to increase surveillance and surveillance actions by the GNR and PSP in their areas of competence and reinforce land mobile surveillance, based on the commitment of patrols of the Armed Forces, especially in the most sensitive and vulnerable areas.

In the scope of the National Network of Watchtowers, the primary network posts remain in operation until November 6.

This reinforcement of the device is implemented in accordance with the operational flexibility provided for in Operational Directive 2 – SAY.

Storm Leslie has caused 27 injured, 61 homeless and nearly 1,900 reported incidents to Civil Protection, according to the most recent update of this authority, released on Sunday morning.

According to commander Rui Laranjeira, of the National Civil Protection Authority (ANPC), all the injured were slight, even though they were transported to a health facility to receive treatment.

The storm also displaced 61 people of whom, 57 were in the district of Coimbra, one in Leiria and three in Viseu. Of the 1,890 incidents recorded by the ANPC, 1,218 were related to tree falls and 441 tocollapse of structures, with wind being the phenomenon that caused the greatest number of occurrences, according to Rui Laranjeira.

According to the commander, the district of Coimbra was the most affected, followed by those of Aveiro, Leiria and Viseu. In the field were 6,373 operational personnel and 2,002 support vehicles..

EDP said EDP said hundreds of thousands of customers have been without electricity since Saturday night as a result of tropical storm Leslie’s damage, Lusa source EDP Distribuição, who says the situation is “very serious.” “At the moment, the northern areas that have not yet been affected are being affected. According to EDP this is a “very serious and complex” situation.

Coimbra, according to this person responsible for the ANPC, was the district where the largest number of occurrences occurred in less time, which is why the resources are being strengthened.

Still in the district of Coimbra are cut several national roads due to the fall of trees. The IC2 is cut to traffic in the areas of Pombal, Leiria and Albergaria-a-Velha.

Storm Leslie is reaching continental territory as a post-tropical depression but with winds with “intensities equivalent to a tropical storm,” with gusts above 130 kph that can reach historic highs of 180/190 kilometers per hour, according to IPMA meteorologist Nuno Moreira.

High voltage pole fall leaves without light about 30 houses in Valongo

The fall of a high-voltage pole in Valongo, in the district of Porto, due to Hurricane Leslie left about 30 homes without electricity, said the source Lusa of the Firemen of Valongo.

According to the same source the alert was given around 00:55, after the strong wind that continues to be felt in the zone to cause the fall of the post, in the parish of Sobrado, causing that “about 30 houses of that street” have been “without electricity”. The Volunteer Firefighters of Valongo had to intervene in the parish of Campo after the fall of two trees to have caused the temporary cut of a secondary road.

Tree fall in Matosinhos causes subway line cutting

The fall of a tree in Senhora da Hora, Matosinhos today caused the cut of Matosinhos metro line and the cutting of the two traffic lanes of Lake Street, said source Volunteer Firefighters of Leixões. According to a source from the Firefighters of Leixões, the fall of the tree in Rua da Lagoa, in Senhora da Hora, Matosinhos, also caused damages in a centennial statue that was in a rotunda. Circulation reestablished on the A1 motorway

The motorway was re-established on the A1 motorway, near the Pombal service area, Brisa said. Transit was temporarily cut off Saturday night on the North Freeway, heading north-south, near Pombal’s service area, due to the fall of a tree caused by the strong wind. Hurricane Leslie’s passage through the mainland, with strong winds, caused trees to fall on Saturday night, roadblocks and power cuts in homes, cancellation of flights and suspension of river links.

Hurricane Leslie struck the mainland as a post-tropical depression, but with winds with “intensities equivalent to a tropical storm,” with gusts above 130 kilometers per hour that can reach historic highs of 180/190 kilometers per hour, according to the report. meteorologist of the IPMA Nuno Moreira.

About 30 flights canceled Saturday night About 30 flights were canceled Saturday night at Lisbon and Funchal airports, according to information available on the ANA – Airports of Portugal portal, most of them due to the passing of the tropical storm Leslie. Not to mention numbers, ANA spokesman Rui Oliveira told Lusa that bad weather was at the origin of “virtually all flights canceled”. According to the ANA portal, 19 arrivals and eight flights of flights were canceled during the night of Saturday at Lisbon airport. At Funchal airport two landings were canceled.

According to the district’s operational commander, there are still some roads cut in the district of Coimbra. Between Mealhada and Coimbra, the Lusa agency found several trees tucked into the road and traffic circulated conditioned and with suppression of one of the roads, in two points of the national road 1.

Jorge Miranda, president of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), said this morning that the post-tropical storm has reached the region of Minho, stressing that the meteorological situation will “normalize rapidly”.