Searches have been conducted at three football clubs as part of investigations into allegations of economic crimes including tax fraud and money laundering. The investigations involved 29 searches across the country involving eight households; one foundation; three sporting companies; nine other companies, two clubs and two law firms, confirmed Portugal’s Ministério Público in a statement. 

‘The investigations involve facts that could include crimes of economic participation in business or undue receipt of advantage, active and passive corruption, qualified tax fraud and money laundering’, it continued. ‘This involves business of various kinds, all related to professional football and relating, in particular, to financial/sports cooperation partnership contracts. Investigations are also being made into the acquisition of sporting and economic rights to players, loans, and a sports company owned by a citizen of Singapore with interests in companies based in the British Virgin Islands.’

Although the Ministério Público said that police raids involved two clubs, Benfica, Santa Clara, and Sporting Lisbon are understood to have been visited by police yesterday. ‘Information collection operations are taking place involving elements of the Judicial Police investigation team at the facilities of Santa Clara Açores, Futebol SAD’, confirmed Santa Clara in a statement. ‘We are available to provide all the required information, collaborating actively and serenely with the other entities for the complete clarification of this whole situation’. Sporting Lisbon confirmed that authorities were investigating ‘an alleged crime of money laundering for the period from 2011 to 2014’. Benfica also confirmed it was being investigated via a statement, reports A Bola.