The Portuguese consulate in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro was the target of searches by Brazilian and Portuguese authorities on Tuesday in a case of suspected corruption related to visa procurement, official sources indicated.
The investigations “investigate the illegal planning of vacancies for the practice of consular acts, in addition to the crimes of corruption, concussion, embezzlement and falsification of documents committed by employees of the Consulate General of Portugal in Rio de Janeiro, in conspiracy with visa and nationality applicants Portuguese,” Brazil’s Federal Police (PF) said in a statement.
According to the same note, a joint action was carried out this morning in Brazil with the Portuguese authorities to execute five search and seizure warrants in the municipalities of Rio de Janeiro and Saquarema.
About 30 Brazilian and Portuguese officers, in addition to members of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Portugal, complied with “the orders issued by the Brazilian Federal Court, which responded to requests for search and seizure warrants formulated by the Portuguese authorities,” authorities said.
In photos shared on the official PF page, officers from the Federal Police and the Judicial Police of Portugal are seen at the Portuguese Consulate in Rio de Janeiro.
In response to the Lusa agency, the PF indicated that “so far” there are no further updates on the balance of the operation called Agendródomo.
Searches took place after complaints from users
The searches by Brazilian and Portuguese authorities at the Consulate General of Portugal in Rio de Janeiro took place “following complaints from users”, the embassy said.
In a note, the Portuguese Embassy in Brazil confirmed that an investigation is underway at the Consulate General of Portugal in Rio de Janeiro, “resulting from an investigation by the General Diplomatic and Consular Inspectorate (IGDC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “(MNE).
This investigation “took place in response to user complaints”, detailing Portuguese diplomacy in Brazil.
“Taking into account the established facts, during the IGDC investigation, a communication was made to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is currently carrying out its trial, assisted by employees of multinational companies,” concluded the Portuguese Embassy in Brazil.
Source: DN
