Ricardo Salgado trial postponed again

The trial of banker Ricardo Salgado, for three crimes of abuse of trust, was postponed again on Monday until July 6, after the public prosecutor requested time to analyse documents.

In the first session of the trial at Lisbon’s Central Criminal Court, the panel of judges, chaired by Francisco Henriques, accepted prosecutor Victor Pinto’s arguments and rescheduled eight days of hearings, starting on July 6 and also scheduled for September.

Ricardo Salgado will answer for three crimes of abuse of trust, due to transfers of more than €10 million, as part of the Operation Marquês process.

According to the instructional decision of Operation Marquês, Ricardo Salgado will be tried for a crime of abuse of trust, in relation to the transfer of €4 million, originating from ES Enterprises’ account in Switzerland to the Credit Suisse account, held by the offshore company Savoices, controlled by him, on October 21, 2011″.

The former banker will also have to answer in court for a crime of abuse of trust related to “a transfer of €2,750,000 from an ES Enterprises account in Switzerland, from an account held by the company Green Emerald in Switzerland, controlled by the defendant Helder Bataglia, to the Credit Suisse account, held by the offshore company Savoices, controlled by him”.

The former chairman of the Espírito Santos Group is also charged with another offence of breach of trust, “in relation to the transfer of €3,967,611” from “an account at the Pictet bank held by Henrique Granadeiro to an account at the Lombard Odier bank held by the offshore company Begolino” controlled by the former chairman of BES.