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Lawyer and accountant led €5 million grants fraud

moneyundematressJudicial Police officers have detained a lawyer and an accountant suspected of fraudulently obtaining grants related to the National Strategic Reference Framework.

In addition to the two main suspects, the PJ also named 12 suspects as official defendants. They include businessmen and intermediaries who helped steal at least €5 million from the State.

The National Anti-Corruption Unit has been investigating the scheme since 2014 and carried out 53 searches in Leiria, Coimbra, Lisbon and Oporto, 20 home searches, two at law firms and 31 in various offices, two of which were in Germany.

Those in the frame are suspected of fraud and falsification of documents to obtain grants which were used, in part, to buy luxury cars, including a Ferrari, a Mclaren, a Porsche and a top end BMW,

"The fraud consisted essentially of overbilling for machinery and equipment with a view to inflating the grants and incentives receivable under the NSRF’s Innovation programme," explained the police.

"The investigation continues to collect more evidence and to track the money that was obtained illegally to the detriment of the Portuguese State,” said the PJ.

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