A businessman was arrested this Tuesday as part of Operation Cinderella, bringing to 11 the number of arrests in this investigation, which investigates an alleged criminal scheme used in insolvency proceedings that allowed the insolvent to benefit at the expense of real creditors.
In a statement, the PJ says that regarding this businessman, aged 56 and of foreign nationality, “the facts indicate that he intervened in the criminal scheme, illegitimately dissipating the assets of companies undergoing insolvency proceedings”.
“The same is, therefore, indicted for the crimes of criminal association, corruption, qualified embezzlement, intentional insolvency, falsification of documents and money laundering, which will have been committed, at least, between 2023 and 2025”, adds this criminal investigation force.
The detainee will be presented to the Porto Criminal Instruction Court for the first judicial interrogation to apply coercive measures.
As part of Operation Cinderella, 10 people, aged between 44 and 77, had already been arrested in March this year, including three former insolvency administrators, a lawyer and six businessmen and traders.
One of the former insolvency administrators is in pre-trial detention.
18 home and non-home searches were also carried out, targeting homes, companies and law offices, seizing documentation, IT material, monetary amounts, luxury objects and high-end vehicles, related to the commission of the crimes under investigation.
In the statement released on March 3, the PJ reported on the 10 arrests, highlighting that the detainees are accused of crimes of criminal association, corruption, qualified fraud, intentional insolvency, forgery of documents and money laundering, which will have been committed, at least, between 2023 and 2025.
“The investigation focuses on the organized and concerted action of the detainees, involved in insolvency and/or company recovery processes, within the scope of their professional functions, in a criminal scheme that allowed the insolvent to benefit and enabled the appropriation of assets to the detriment of real creditors”, detailed, at the time, the PJ.
A judicial source told the Lusa agency that day that this investigation is separate from the one that led to the arrest of lawyer Paulo Topa, in December 2025, on suspicion of corruption in a scheme to embezzle funds in insolvency and company recovery processes.
Paulo Topa is in preventive detention under this process, which is linked to this investigation.
According to the investigation, through natural and/or legal persons they trust, who presented themselves with fictitious credits and forged documentation, those involved guaranteed the immediate recognition of creditors without due proof of the debt.
“These fictitious credits, in addition to allowing the immediate appropriation of movable or immovable assets, ensured the approval of recovery plans, so that debtors could take advantage of their effects, suspending the action of real creditors and dissipating existing assets”, the PJ statement also said.
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