http://sol.pt/noticia/275671Case Cardinal: Defendant confirms surveillance footballers Sporting
08/04/2015 20:17:46
The former vice president of Sporting Paulo Pereira Cristovao started today on trial in Lisbon, under the 'Cardinal case', in session with the other accused in the case has confirmed that the club watched their players.
Victor Viegas said he was contacted by Paulo Pereira Cristovao, former Inspector of Judicial Police, to make a "monitoring of the assets of the club and its social life," which he called "an almost invisible work".
Viegas said that the contract between your company - Businlog - created for this purpose was signed by Godinho Lopes and Carlos Barbosa, who at the time was president and vice president of Sporting, respectively.
The Businlog hired after two employees to the Right Expert, an undertaking which was linked Paulo Pereira Cristovao, who along with Victor Viegas were in charge of monitoring and support to the players.
Victor Viegas confirmed the existence of a list of names, addresses and license plates of the cars of footballers, explaining that it also had data on women of some players and it was updated as we had inputs and outputs on the roster.
The two employees were, according to Victor Viegas, Joaquim Alves and Rui Martins, which, according to the indictment, will be involved in an attempt to bribe the referee assistant Joseph Cardinal.
The defendant explained that he received monthly Sporting 8,000 euros, of which 6,000 were channeled to the Right Expert to pay the two employees.
Paulo Pereira Cristovao, who is being held in prison in Évora since March 3 as part of another process, decided not to testify at the first session of the trial, presided by Judge Marisa Arnedo.
The former vice president of Sporting is accused of a serious fraud crime, another of money laundering, embezzlement two plus a wanton through computer, an illegitimate access and, finally, a slanderous denunciation aggravated.
About Victor Viegas, which guaranteed never to have been asked for any surveillance referees or members of the club direction, hang the charges of aggravated fraud, money laundering and wanton by computer.
During the afternoon session, the jury court heard the former referee assist José Cardinal - who is an assistant in the process - which has reportedly been the victim of bribery attempt by Paulo Pereira Cristovao.
Cardinal confirmed it had received in your account a sum of 2,000 euros, days before a game between Sporting and the Sea, for which it was named.
Cardinal said he realized that it was a "trap" and so decided to donate the money the association of social solidarity.
"I called Vítor Pereira, president of the Board of Arbitration, and said to him, '. I am the victim of a trap I will ask you to get me out of the game'," said Cardinal.
Former assistant referee said he lived "months of anguish" between December 2011 and April 2012, when the Judicial Police investigated the case after a complaint.
Cardinal explained the whole situation affected your personal and sporting life, adding that eventually gave up the idea of becoming observer after leaving the arbitration.
For the first session was scheduled hearing of former Sporting Godinho Lopes, but was eventually postponed, as the other two witnesses for May 6.
Early in the session, the lawyer Paulo Pereira Cristovao, Paulo Farinha Alves, requested the trial to be made behind closed doors, but the application was rejected.
Last October, as part of the sports courts, the Disciplinary Board of the Portuguese Football Federation suspended Paulo Pereira Cristovao for 15 months and punished him with a fine of three thousand euros.
Paulo Pereira Cristovao is in custody since March 3, charged with aggravated robbery, conspiracy and kidnapping in connection with another case
Lusa / SOL
