According to Interpol’s Official Website, (International Criminal Police Organization), ten Portuguese (soon to be 11) are wanted worldwide after having fled from justice. They are all men, most of whom are accused of drug trafficking offences.
Top of the list is Duarte Lima Domingos, former parliamentary leader of the PSD, who is currently waiting extradition to Brazil for the murder of Rosaline Ribeiro in 2009. The former government official is currently serving a prison sentence in Sintra, for fraud and money laundering.
Serafim Pereira Almeida da Cruz and João Paulo Ferreira Marques are wanted by the Argentinian authorities. These are joined by 51-year-old Carlos Miguel Pina de Castro e Silva, who is wanted in Brazil for drug trafficking.
Also wanted by Brazil are Mário António Fonseca for money laundering and drug trafficking, José António Cohen , 71, for international drug trafficking, money laundering and document forgery, Jorge Palhinhos , 75, suspected of money laundering and drug trafficking, and Manuel Rosa Monteiro, who has also been accused of drug trafficking and money laundering.
United States Law Enforcement Agencies, are trying to locate the whereabouts of 59-year-old Carlos Bolieiro, from São Miguel, Azores, for “aggravated sexual assault”, and Daniel Costa, aged 51-years-old, for murder.
João Rendeiro is wanted by the authorities, as he managed to flee before serving three consecutive sentences (ten, five and three years). He has yet to make it onto the Interpol list.
However, the former president of Banco Privado Português (BPP) has already said that he does not intend to return to Portugal, and will not appear to serve his sentence. The case came to light when retired ambassador Júlio Mascarenhas who, in 2008, invested 250,000 euros in BPP bonds, a few months before it became public that the institution led by João Rendeiro was on the brink of collapse, and that he had asked for a State guarantee of 750 million euros.
The collapse of BPP, a bank dedicated to wealth management, took place in 2010. Despite its small size, it’s collapse had serious repercussions on the banking world.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
