There are 13 companies that did made between 2018 and 2020 and they only did business with the Directorate General of National Defense Resources (DGRDN).
This was the period – which coincided with João Gomes Cravinho’s tenure as Minister of National Defense – target of investigation during Operation “Perfect Storm”. suspicious statements at that ministry and which has already resulted in charges of corruption, embezzlement and money laundering against 73 defendants – seven Defense Department employees, including three former senior officials, 36 businessmen and family members, as well as 30 companies.
These 13 (see list at the end of the text) are part of those three dozen and, according to the data in their name, are consulted by DN on the public procurement platform base.gov, were only awarded by the DGRDN.
During the relevant period, this powerful department of the Ministry of National Defense (MDN) was commanded by the three main defendants in the casearrested last December: Albert Coelho, then Director General, who has already been fined 15,000 and 300 euros by the Court of Auditors for financial violations in the works of the former Military Hospital of Belém (HMB); and the chosen ones Paul Brankodirector of financial management services, and Francisco Marquisdirector of infrastructure and heritage services.
According to the responsible for the Lisbon Ministry of Investigations and Criminal Justice (DIAP).titled the study that was examined by the National Anti-Corruption Unit (UNCC) of the Judicial Police (PJ)in common, the accused companies, including these 13, had everything direct or indirect ties, through relatives or other well-known businessmen, to the main defendant’s three managers: “André Barros, Manuel Sousa and Paulo Machado are known by Alberto Coelho, Paulo Branco and Francisco Marques. They are all connected to civil construction, engineering and architecture firms hired by the DGRDN,” said the Public Prosecution Service (MP).
3.7 million euros in prizes
“To carry out the coordination of calls and proposals to be submitted in the procurement procedures, through direct agreement and prior consultation, through these economic operators companies were created for the sole purpose of being awarded by the DGRDNcontrolled by themselves or by people they are related to,” the MP guarantees.
According to the Look up DNthe thirteen companies – most of them founded in 2020, when the country was in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic – had a turnover of about 3.7 million euros, more than two-thirds of a total of 5.5 million that the MP attributes to the 45 suspicious awards.
In addition, “for the same purpose of consultation, companies already installed in the market were invited who agreed to facilitate the success of the proposal of the company chosen to win the procedure”.
In some cases, the lawsuit states “presenting proposals of higher value than the winning proposal, or not presenting proposals”, in other cases “presenting proposals they knew were winners in exchange for the withholding an amount as “Commission”generally corresponding to 5% of the amount awarded”.
“Cost center” for offsets
Among these companies is located Roma premiumfounded in 2019, with six contracts registered with the DGRDN, for an amount of €304,753.00.
One of the awards was the requalification of the HMB, whose slip, in 2020, from 750,000 to 3.2 million euros, ultimately made this case the largest. judicial research center.
The Roma premium coincided with the TRXMS (founded in 2017 as a ‘hairdressing service provider’ but with a switch, in April 2020, to management jobs and services to companies), which also six contracts with the DGRDN alone, in 2019 and 2020, amounting to € 1,815,057.00, not only in HMB, but also in works in the Bensaúde Palacewhen the former foreign minister, Marco Captain Ferreira (accused of the Perfect Storm, but not yet charged) relocated the headquarters of the IdD-Portugal Defensethe company of the public defense industry, of which Chairman of the Board of Directors between 2020 and 2022.
According to the portal mentioned above, the contract is appropriate “Contract for the acquisition of rehabilitation and conservation works in the Bensaúde Palace in Lisbon”, cost approx 122 thousand euros (with VAT), was awarded, in December 2020to Romapremium, but TRXMS did the job.
The trial, which supports the prosecution, was settled between the defendants Paulo Branco, Francisco Marques, Paulo Machado and André Barros.
Remember that, in addition to these charges through the DGRDN, according to the same portal base.gov, September 2021Marco Capitao Ferreira still spent more than 160 thousand (Including VAT) in another contract in a “Contract for Adaptation Works to the Bensaúde Palace”.
a tentacle net supposedly founded by Coelho, Branco, Marques, Barros, Sousa and Machado implied, the MP claims, the creation by the three entrepreneurs of a “cost center”with regard to the works awarded and the compensation given to the DGRDN employees who positively intervened in the decision of the aforementioned contractual procedures, stating these, to the counterpartsof “commercials”.
In addition, according to the MP, the defendants André Barros, Paulo Machado, Manuel Sousa and Cláudia Preto (managing partner of TRXMS) would percentage of 10%, for each work awarded by the DGRDN to this fair.
In the indictment, the MP orders the three former senior managers of the MDN and the businessmen to pay the state one million and 400,000 euros, which is estimated to be the amount they received in terms of property and/or cash: Alberto Coelho about 86 thousand euros; Paulo Branco 415 thousand euros; and Francisco Marques, about 270 thousand.
you three businessmen will approx. 634 thousand euroscorresponding to the values that, calculated by the Member of Parliament, were unlawfully appropriated.
Risks in the new law
In addition to the contracts already mentioned, the other awards always related to minor works, e.g. maintenance of accommodation in squares, inspections of military buildings, renovations, soil cleaning, among others, which, due to their low value, instant adjustments aroused no suspicion.
However, there is a caveat regarding the new law on military infrastructure (LIM), published in Diário da República on the 18th.
Prepared with the involvement of Marco Capitão Ferreiraas a former Minister of Foreign Affairs (whose position he resigned on July 7, when he was appointed arguido) with this guardianship of the management of military resources delegated by Minister Helena Carreiras, the current LIM provides for: For the first timein Article 10, which “for the purpose of increasing the value of property from which income is generatedcan the DGRDN promote the construction of improvements”.
Industry sources fear that this is one “open door” for more direct adjustments. “Most of these works are of little value, but many add up, as this new article from LIM predicts, to large amounts of money that will ultimately be diverted from LIM and from what should be the main focus: “improving the infrastructure of the armed forces”. Forces”, underlines one of these sources, attentive to the “Perfect Storm”.
This was an amendment to the law, approved in parliament with only votes in favor of the PSwhich could cause problems for Helena Carreiras, who did not oppose this new article.
Don’t forget that the minister guaranteed that ‘great attention and priority has been given to everything related to the need for this strengthening and promoting transparency and prevention of corruption and economic and financial crime in the defense field”.
Helena Carreiras, who asked the Court to audit IdDassured that “in addition to various inspections promoted and carried out by the General Inspectorate of National Defense on all entities in the field of defense, including the state-owned enterprise sector, since December 2022, a series of inspection actions” is also in progress.
list of companies
1- Agroclean – founded on 23/10/2020
– Forest exploitation, cork and resin
– 3 contracts with DGRDN in 2020 and 2021
Total amount – € 130,290.00
2- Alex Santos – created on 9/14/2020
– Build
– 1 contract with DGRDN in 2020
Total amount – € 149,200.00
3- Choose2shine – founded on 17-06-2020
– Renovation of buildings, cleaning, purchase and sale of real estate
– 2 contracts with DGRDN in 2020
Total amount – € 177,200.00
4- Degmauri – established on 11/5/2019
– Build
– 1 contract with DGRDN in 2020
Total value – 30,000 euros
5- Effusive Percentage – Founded on 6/17/2020
– Construction, renovation and maintenance of buildings, purchase and sale of real estate.
– 2 contracts with DGRDN in 2020
Total amount – € 173,656.00
6- Mifraland – created on 03/11/2020
– Purchase and sale of properties.
– 4 contracts with DRGDN between 2020 and 2021
Total amount – € 259,765.00
7- Paralelo Resistência – created on 6/3/2020
– Consulting, engineering projects and civil construction
– 2 contracts with DGRDN in 2020
Total amount – € 174,500.00
8- Planeta Limpo – founded on 21-06-2019
– Cleaning of roads, pine forests, forests, forests, agricultural paths
and forestry, urban spaces
– 7 contracts with DGRDN in 2019 and 2020
Total amount – €366,438.00
9- Precious Strategy – Formed on 6/23/2020
– Served to use bank accounts for counterparts.
– No registered contract
10- Romapremium – established on 3/12/2019
– Consultancy, civil construction, public works, engineering and architecture projects,
supervising the works and the purchase and sale of building materials
– 6 contracts with DGRDN between 2019 and 2020
Total amount – €304,753.00
11- Second plan – prepared on 1/1/2018
– Locksmith and civil construction
– 4 contracts with DGRDN in 2019 and 2020
Total amount – € 195,280.00
12- TRXMS – established in 2017 and redesignated on 4/6/2020
– It started as a provider of hairdressing services and later moved on to management work and services to companies.
– 6 contracts with DGRDN in 2019 and 2020
Total value – € 1,815,057.00
13- Wisepodium – Established on 6/23/2020
It served to use the counterparties’ bank accounts.
No registered contract
Source: DN
