Searches in Portugal and Malta over ferry sale to Malta-based group

Portugal’s public prosecutor and the tax authority have carried out searches on Wednesday in Porto, Funchal and Malta in an investigation into the sale of a ferry (The Atlântida) to a Malta-based company.

A judicial source confirmed to Lusa news agency that one of the companies being searched is Douro Azul, in Porto, owned by businessman Mario Ferreira, and that what is at stake is the business of buying, in 2014, the Atlântida from the liquidation commission of the Viana do Castelo Shipyards, for 8 million 750 thousand euros, and its sale, the following year, to a Norwegian company, for about 18 million euros, through two other companies (‘offshores’) – now extinct – created, allegedly, by Mário Ferreira.

A note from the central criminal investigation and prosecution department (DCIAP) states that eight searches were conducted on companies, including law firms, and the facts under investigation are likely to constitute the practice of the crimes of qualified tax fraud and money laundering.

The searches, which are taking place in Portugal – Funchal and Porto – and in Malta, are led by two judges and five public prosecutors, with 19 inspectors and forensic experts from the fraud investigation and special actions department of the tax and customs authority (DSIFAE) and 12 members of the GNR tax action unit.

The proceedings aim – according to DCIAP – “to collect evidence related to the sale” of the ferry to a company based in Malta.

The investigation continues under the direction of DCIAP, the public prosecutor’s department that investigates the most serious, complex and sophisticated organised crime.

Speaking to journalists, the legal head of Douro Azul confirmed the searches.

“I confirm that at this moment there are members of the tax authority inside our organisation searching a set of documentation. I cannot say any more because we are in a moment of legal confidentiality and, therefore, we cannot reveal any more details,” said Nuno Bizarro, outside the company’s headquarters in Porto.

The lawyer said he hoped that “all the information that is requested and sought is really delivered and discovered and that the truth is answered and that the good name of Mário Ferreira and his business group is put at the levels it had until today.

“We are willing to help in whatever is necessary, as we have been in the past and, above all, so that the truth can be restored and the authorities can come forward with all the information that is necessary, so that the business group Mário Ferreira is seen with the eyes with which it deserves,” declared Nuno Bizarro.

On 27 June this year, the former president of Empordef and leader of the liquidation commission of the Viana do Castelo Shipyard (ENVC) said in Bolhão Court, in Porto, that there was “high corruption” in the sale of the Atlântida to the Douro Azul company, owned by businessman Mário Ferreira.

“There was high corruption that involved politicians in office, the board of directors of the Viana do Castelo Shipyard, the jury of the tender, the (now defunct) BES bank and the buyer,” said João Pedro Martins, heard as a witness on behalf of the defence of former diplomat Ana Gomes, in the trial in which the former MEP is accused of defaming Mário Ferreira.

Heard by videoconference at the Bolhão Court, in Porto, João Pedro Martins said that about a year before the sale of Atlântida (sold in 2014) there were “twelve firm proposals” for the purchase of the ship in the order of 30 million euros, adding that the board of directors of the ENVC considered them “extremely low” compared to the construction cost.

The former president of Empordef – the state holding company for defence industries, now extinct – then explained that, a month and a half before the sale of the ship to “a Greek shipowner,” which offered the best price for its acquisition (12.8 million euros), the ship was “not contactable”.

According to the tender rules, the ship was eventually acquired by the second best proposal, which was presented by Mário Ferreira’s Douro Azul, for 8 million 750 thousand euros.

The ship would be sold months later, in 2015, for about 18 million euros to a Norwegian company, through two companies (‘offshores’) – now extinct – allegedly created by Mário Ferreira in Malta to, the investigation believes, take tax advantages.

The former chairman of Empordef, who, in February 2019, in a parliamentary hearing had already claimed there was “high corruption” in ENVC, also revealed in court that about three and a half years ago he delivered to the public prosecutor documentation and “evidentiary matter”, namely the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors of ENVC, considering that “the facts are too evident”, should the prosecutor decide to bring charges.